The following is the New Jersey Nursing Initiative (NJNI) weekly news roundup, highlighting nursing and health care stories from around the state.

QualCare launching enhanced health management plan for its employers (NJ Biz)
QualCare, which administers health plans for employers across the state, is offering the members of those plans an enhanced “population health management” program designed to get people more engaged in their health. QualCare will reach out to the members through a new “health service team model,” with 70 nurses organized into small teams, or pods, with each pod assigned to a handful of employer groups.

N.J. legislature approves bill requiring hospitals to teach family how to care for discharged patients (NJ.com)
Recognizing the important role of a spouse, relative or a friend when a patient is discharged from a hospital, the state Legislature has passed a bill that will require hospitals to provide designated caregivers with detailed instructions and training on how to carry out their responsibilities. The bill now heads to Gov. Chris Christie, who will decide whether it should be signed into law.

Rutgers, CCC sign deal on conditional acceptance (The Courier-Post)
Camden County College has signed an agreement with Rutgers University-Camden that will give students at the two-year school conditional acceptance to the state university. Under the new partnership, any student from the eight South Jersey counties denied acceptance to Rutgers-Camden as a freshman will receive conditional acceptance at Camden County College. College officials described the new agreement as “groundbreaking” for both institutions. Previously enacted agreements between the two schools include bachelor’s degree completion programs in business administration, liberal studies and psychology. Camden County College also offers a bachelor of science in nursing degree on its Gloucester Township Campus, in cooperation with the Rutgers College of Nursing, Newark and New Brunswick.