Listen to this article

Pamela Harmon, DNP, MSN, RNC-NIC
Director of the Women and Children’s Division and Administrative Director of the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, Saint Peter’s University Hospital

Can you describe some of the key initiatives or programs your organization has implemented to support women’s health?

Saint Peter’s University Hospital launched the state’s first nationally accredited hospital-owned, midwifery-led Birth Center and continues midwifery advocacy in cases where pregnant women are seeking a low intervention, high touch birthing experience. Saint Peter’s midwifery program continues to grow in popularity as more women seek increased input in decision-making for their birthing experience. Saint Peter’s certified nurse-midwives care for women from the beginning of their pregnancies through delivery but can also provide routine gynecologic care.

In collaboration with a midwife, expectant mothers create a birth plan which acts as a roadmap for the birth experience. The plan documents their preferences for how they anticipate the birthing process will progress, including birthing alternatives such as a medication-free birth by bypassing intravenous medications and epidurals, avoiding C-sections and episiotomies and the incorporation of birthing tools that facilitate a variety of different positions for increased comfort.

In what ways does your organization involve women in the decision-making process for your health programs?

Saint Peter’s is a staunch advocate for including women’s voices in the birthing process. The hospital participates in TeamBirth, an initiative giving pregnant women more control over their birth experience by working collaboratively with pregnant moms to develop a birth plan that improves communication with the birth team, resulting in better outcomes while decreasing the equity gap. TeamBirth has been shown to improve the birthing experience for mothers and to potentially reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

What partnerships or collaborations have you formed to enhance your efforts in women’s health, and how have these partnerships contributed to your goals?

The hospital recently expanded its midwifery services beyond New Brunswick to Lakewood and its nearby communities. The expansion of services was created by a desire from the community. While Saint Peter’s is a Catholic hospital, it serves patients of all backgrounds and given the large Orthodox Jewish presence in Lakewood, will support its midwifery practice there with its Jewish Services nurse navigator who will assist parents by educating them about midwifery services within the context of sensitivity and reverence for Jewish laws and observances.

How does your organization advocate for women’s health at the policy level, and what recent successes have you achieved in this area?

Saint Peter’s is the only hospital in New Jersey to be selected as a member of The Council of Women’s and Infants’ Specialty Hospitals (CWISH), a collaborative of 14 maternity hospitals nationwide that promotes best practices, supporting programs and national policies for women’s and infants’ healthcare services.

Women’s Health 2024 is sponsored content.