University Hospital and First Lady Tammy Murphy hosted Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams on Jan. 9 for a Maternal Mortality & Morbidity Listening Session.
Adams moderated a panel discussion in Newark with health care providers, state and local leaders, and other stakeholders on efforts underway in New Jersey to address these issues.
“Strengthening maternal health across the nation is a top priority of mine, so I was thrilled to moderate this panel and dialogue with leaders in New Jersey who are paving the way in improving maternal health care in the state,” said Adams. “University Hospital has proven to be a shining example of maternal health care in New Jersey, and I am excited to see how this hospital and the Garden State will continue to build upon this strong foundation.”
With over 40 clinic physicians and labor and delivery registered nurses, more than 1,600 annual deliveries, and over 24,000 prenatal patient visits per year, University Hospital’s Regional Perinatal Center handles the most complicated pregnancies and most medically fragile newborns. Services include counseling for women with chronic health conditions, evaluation and prevention of pre-term births and infant deaths, and care for women with significant medical problems, such as HIV, diabetes, fetal complications or substance addictions.
“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Adams for visiting New Jersey to discuss the maternal and infant health crisis in our state,” said Murphy. “Improving health outcomes for New Jersey’s mothers and babies requires a comprehensive, collaborative approach with our local, state, and federal partners. Through our Nurture NJ initiative, we are committed to reducing infant and maternal mortality and morbidity and ensuring equitable maternal and infant care among women and children of all races and ethnicities.”
Within New Jersey, University Hospital said that it ranks among the lowest C-section rates of all hospitals, the most successful vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC) rates, and the lowest episiotomy rates.
“Dr. Adams’ visit today is a testament to the incredibly high level of care our skilled clinical team provides. At University Hospital, we take care of complex and high-risk pregnancies on a daily basis, and we are incredibly proud to have some of the best health outcomes in the State,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, president and chief executive officer of University Hospital.
According to health experts, reducing infant and maternal mortality and morbidity is a huge cost savings to the entire health care system. The average cost of a preterm baby is over $40,000. Moreover, the morbidity related to prematurity or complications can have lifelong impacts.
In addition, experts say that maternal mortality has long term impacts on families and communities and in some instances these costs cannot be calculated.
The hospital said that it was the first and only hospital in Essex County to be designated as a Baby-Friendly Hospital by Baby-Friendly USA, as part of a global program by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, to encourage mothers to nourish their newborns with breast milk.
