When it comes to health care, Garden State residents, like the rest of the nation, have a lot to be concerned about. We have all watched health care costs skyrocket and the number of uninsured continue to rise. We worry about whether the hospitals, physicians and nurses we rely on in our communities can continue to provide high-quality, cost-effective care.

The good news is that this poll shows that New Jersey residents want change. They are interested in exploring a wide range of options to improve our troubled health care system. New Jersey residents say they are willing to do the hard work—and make the tough choices—that true reform entails. It is rare, in this or any other state, to see such strong support; our leaders should capitalize on this momentum. New Jersey's elected officials should work with doctors, hospitals, nurses, business owners, consumers, insurers and others to increase coverage and access to high quality health care.

While it is important for New Jersey to make these tough choices, our state cannot do it alone. Many of the issues facing the state's health care system are national in scope and demand national, nonpartisan leadership.

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A.
President and CEO
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. The Foundation is the sponsor of Cover the Uninsured, the largest mobilization in history to create awareness of the need for action on the issue of the uninsured. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime.