New Community Health Center Marks a Major Milestone in HCNJ’s 27-Year Mission to Expand Access to Healthcare.
Our Bureau
Franklin Township, NJ
Health Camp of New Jersey (HCNJ), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underserved communities, celebrated the grand opening of the Lata Atul Shah Community Health Center on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Located at 1553 Route 27, Suite 2500, Franklin Township, Somerset, New Jersey 08873, the new center represents a significant expansion of HCNJ’s longstanding mission of providing preventive healthcare, health education, and access to care for uninsured, underinsured, and underserved individuals. More than 100 invited guests, community members, healthcare professionals, civic leaders, volunteers, and supporters attended the Grand Opening ceremony.
The Lata Atul Shah Community Health Center is being developed as a Health Center Program Look-Alike (LAL), with the long-term goal of achieving Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status. The center is envisioned to provide year-round primary and preventive healthcare, chronic disease management, health education, and coordinated referrals, building upon HCNJ’s successful community health fair programs. HCNJ has received numerous community service honors, including the New Jersey Governor’s Jefferson Award for Public Service and the NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Award.
The new Community Health Center builds on HCNJ’s existing foundation by creating an opportunity for individuals to access healthcare services on a continuous, year-round basis rather than only through periodic health fairs. Dr. Tushar Patel, President of Health Camp of New Jersey, welcomed guests and expressed his sincere appreciation to the organization’s volunteers, healthcare professionals, donors, community organizations, and supporters who have helped advance HCNJ’s mission for more than two decades.
Dr. Patel described the Community Health Center as a “dream project” for HCNJ and noted that beginning in 2023, the organization made development of a community health center one of its major objectives while continuing its community health screening programs. “For more than 27 years, Health Camp of New Jersey has been bringing preventive healthcare and health education directly into our communities,” said Dr. Patel. “The Community Health Center allows us to take the next step in that journey by providing primary and preventive healthcare services throughout the year to individuals who may otherwise face barriers to accessing care.”
Dr. Patel also recognized the many community organizations and institutions that have supported HCNJ throughout its history and expressed appreciation for their continued partnership as the organization moves forward with this new initiative. The Lata Atul Shah Community Health Center is designed around the principles of prevention, early detection, chronic disease management, health education, and access to care.
The initiative aims to improve access to affordable healthcare, support early detection and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, promote preventive care, increase health awareness, and provide culturally responsive services to diverse and immigrant communities. The center also seeks to strengthen collaboration among healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, community institutions, and other partners throughout New Jersey. HCNJ’s long-term goal is to become a HRSA Health Center Program Look-Alike and ultimately achieve FQHC status, expanding access to affordable, high-quality healthcare services.
The Grand Opening brought together healthcare professionals, civic leaders, community advocates, nonprofit representatives, donors, and volunteers. Among those who addressed the audience were Lata and Atul Shah, principal donors and members of the HCNJ Board of Directors; their sons, Dr. Jigesh Shah of Dallas and Dr. Vatsal Shah of Ohio; HCNJ Board of Directors Shirish Parekh, Kiran Kothari, Subhash Shah, Ritesh Shah and Dr. Rupen Parikh. Community Physicians Dr. Sunanda Gaur, retired professor at Rutgers; Dr. Rajeev Mehta and Dr. Kusum Punjabi of RWJ New Brunswick; Dr. Ranjita Sengupta, cardiologist at RWJ Somerset; Dr. Sandya Desai, Julie Diaz, Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Sivaraman Anbarasan, Councilman of Franklin Township; community physician; Nalin Shah of Swajan; and Upendra Chivukula, former Mayor of Franklin Township and former New Jersey State Assemblyman.
Their participation reflected the broad community, healthcare, civic, and philanthropic support behind HCNJ’s new initiative. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included Lata and Atul Shah, Dr. Jigesh Shah, and Dr. Vatsal Shah. Madhura Murali Das and Vedatma Daga of Radha Gopinath Mandir in Edison, New Jersey, led traditional chants during the ceremony, adding a meaningful cultural element to the celebration.
The opening of the Lata Atul Shah Community Health Center marks a new chapter in HCNJ’s 27-year history. What began in 1998 as a community effort to provide free health screenings has grown into a sustained healthcare initiative serving thousands of individuals through the dedication of volunteers, healthcare professionals, donors, and community partners.
The new center represents HCNJ’s continued commitment to accessible, preventive, culturally responsive, and continuous healthcare, as well as its vision of creating a healthier and more equitable future for communities across New Jersey.
About Health Camp of New Jersey
Health Camp of New Jersey (HCNJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 with a mission to improve the health and well-being of uninsured, underinsured, and underserved individuals through preventive healthcare, early detection, health education, and referrals. For more than 27 years, HCNJ has worked with healthcare professionals, volunteers, community organizations, and institutions to bring free healthcare services and health education directly to communities throughout New Jersey.