New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy Murphy Launches Nurture NJ Initiative at Cooper

 

On Wednesday, January 23, 2019, New Jersey’s First Lady, Tammy Murphy, announced the launch of the state-wide Nurture NJ campaign, coinciding with Maternal Health Awareness Day at an event held at Cooper University Health Care. (The archived stream of this event can be found on YouTube.)

“That is why today, on Maternal Health Awareness Day, we are excited to announce Nurture NJ, a new state-wide awareness campaign,” said Mrs. Murphy. “It pledges our commitment to every mother, every baby, and every family to reduce infant and maternal mortality and morbidity, and eliminate racial disparities. The Nurture NJ campaign will encompass all the efforts that my office and the administration have already taken as well as those efforts we will take to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. This includes greater collaboration between departments to ensure that when a mother or father enters one of our facilities, we are providing the most targeted and comprehensive care possible.”

The initiative has three aims:

  • Reductions in maternal mortality rates and disparities.
  • Reductions in severe maternal morbidity rates and disparities.
  • Reductions in racial and ethnic disparities in first birth, low-risk cesarean birth rates.

Despite advances in medical science and technology, deaths related to complications from pregnancy and childbirth are on the rise nationally and in New Jersey.

“We all have a stake in improving maternal health and ensuring access to care and resources that assist and empower women to be healthy and have healthy babies,” said New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal. “Every woman should have a healthy pregnancy and delivery and be assured that if problems arise, they will have the medical treatment and support they need.”

New Jersey is the first state in the nation to designate a day calling for action to raise public awareness about maternal health and promote maternal safety. In addition to the First Lady and Commissioner Elnahal, today’s event included New Jersey Department of Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson, New Jersey Department of Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer, and Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio.

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