Somerset County doc tapped as N.J. health commissioner

    Somerset County physician Poonam Alaigh specializes in vascular diseases and is a former medical director for the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.

    New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has announced his pick to be New Jersey’s next Commissioner of Health and Senior Services.

    Somerset County physician Poonam Alaigh specializes in vascular diseases and is a former medical director for the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.

    She says her number one issue as state Health Commissioner is to balance the budget.

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    Alaigh: The number two issue is to remain honest to what our mission is which is to make sure that the health care is quality driven and is accessible. So no matter what we do that has to be the mission that we guide our principles against.”

    Some of the hospitals in the state are struggling with the financial costs of providing charity care. Governor Christie says the state will work with them to make sure they’re managed effectively, but he says state government does not have the money to bail them out.

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