Hackensack Meridian Health announces formation of maternal health task force

Listen to this article

Hackensack Meridian Health announced the formation of a Maternal Health Task Force, a blue-ribbon panel of internal and external experts, dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes.

“At Hackensack Meridian Health, we always put our patients’ first, aim to provide the highest quality care and deliver the best patient experience,” said Robert C. Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health in a statement.

“New Jersey has the fifth highest maternal death rate in the country, which is unacceptable. Our mothers deserve better. As New Jersey’s largest health network, Hackensack Meridian Health is dedicated to changing that outcome in New Jersey. Our newly formed Maternal Health Task Force will help address maternal health issues,” said Garrett.

The aim of the task force is to ensure that the health network’s goals for success are aligned among clinician team members, hospital leaders and network executives.

Members of the task force include: former first lady Mary Jo Codey, co-chair; Kathy Ellis, co-chair and HMH board trustee; Dr. Manuel Alvarez, chair OB/GYN, Hackensack University Medical Center; Dr. Carol Barsky, HMH executive vice president, chief quality officer; Dr. Michael Kleiman, HMH board trustee; Dr. Andrew Rubenstein, section chief of labor & delivery, HUMC; and Andria Schneiderman, HMH hospital corporate board trustee.

“Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to ongoing collaboration with First Lady Tammy Murphy of New Jersey and the Department of Health,” said Dr. Barsky.

 “It is an honor to improve maternal health care, to eliminate disparities. We are committed to reducing maternal mortality, maternal complications and racial disparity in material health outcomes,” Barsky said.