Health Update: Municipality of Princeton Again Named a Mayors Wellness Campaign “Healthy Town” – Town Topics – What Experts Say

CELEBRATING HEALTH: Princeton recently received recognition for its public health efforts through New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute’s Mayors Wellness Campaign. Pictured from left, are Princeton Health Officer Jeffrey Grosser, Public Health Nurse Laurie Wilson, Mayor Mark Freda, and Health Educator Julie Santamorena. (Photo courtesy NJHCQI)

By Matthew Hersh

Community health awareness, prevention, and health education resulted once again in Princeton being named a “Healthy Town” in 2025 — its fourth consecutive year. The designation is an annual recognition by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute (NJHCQI) as part of its Mayors Wellness Campaign.

NJHCQI recognizes local efforts to improve health and wellness through initiatives that address the conditions that shape health, including access to physical activity, nutritious foods, safe environments, and mental health support.

The Mayors Wellness Campaign is a program of the NJHCQI in partnership with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. In addition to a record breaking 45 “Healthy Town” winners, another 12 towns were designated as a 2025 “Healthy Town to Watch,” and four were designated as a 2025 “Healthy Town Up-and-Coming.”

“Princeton continues to show its commitment to the health and well-being of its citizens in creative and innovative ways, raising the bar for what local leadership can accomplish,” said Julie DeSimone, NJHCQI vice president of community health. “The Municipality recognizes the value of building community partnerships and the benefit of prioritizing health in ways that are both meaningful and measurable.”

DeSimone noted the record number of designations this year, reflecting a trend in prioritizing health in “ways that are both meaningful and measurable.”

Examples of Princeton’s Mayors Wellness Campaign accomplishments include its Blood Drive, a collaboration between the Red Cross, Center for Modern Aging Princeton, and Princeton Health Department. The drive also included health education and outreach information on immunizations, tickborne illnesses, heat illness, and proper medication disposal.

In November, Princeton Public Library hosted author Michael Pollan, who spoke on his book Food Rules to underscore simple tips to eating healthy and drew from a variety of traditions and culture. The Princeton Health Department public health nurse and a nutritionist from Penn Medicine were available at the event providing outreach and answering health questions related to healthy eating.

Princeton’s sustained community outreach has been part of its ongoing effort to better educate the public on health and wellness, including a series of outreach and health education events at the library, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, and Center for Modern Aging Princeton’s Community Kitchen. These events, accompanied by registered nurses, are designed to provide health education on preventive health topics such as mental health, UV safety, immunizations, tick safety, breast cancer, and more.

Outreach also includes information for underinsured and uninsured residents.

“Tabling throughout the community was also a great opportunity for health department staff to answer questions from the public pertaining to prevalent health topics,” said Gwendolyn Krol, local health outreach coordinator at the Princeton Health Department.

Each year, communities participating in the Mayors Wellness Campaign complete a comprehensive “Healthy Town” application outlining the research they’ve done to identify their community health needs and explaining how they have organized their local Mayors Wellness Campaign committee. The application also highlights the actions the towns have taken to make their communities healthier.