UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AND FIRST LADY TAMMY MURPHY HOST SURGEON GENERAL FOR MATERNAL HEALTH LISTENING SESSION

The “Nation’s Doctor” moderated a panel discussion with healthcare providers and State and local leaders on maternal health in New Jersey

On Thursday, January 9th , University Hospital and First Lady Tammy Murphy hosted Surgeon General, VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., for a Maternal Mortality & Morbidity Listening Session. Dr. Adams moderated a panel discussion with healthcare providers, State and local leaders, and other stakeholders on the efforts underway in New Jersey to address these critical 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 healthcare in the state,” said Surgeon General VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H. “University Hospital has proven to be a shining example of maternal healthcare in New Jersey, and I am excited to see how this hospital and The Garden State will continue to build upon this strong foundation.”

“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Adams for visiting New Jersey to discuss the maternal and infant health crisis in our state,” said First Lady Tammy 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. Together, we will reach our goal of making New Jersey the safest place in the nation to give birth by providing support for our mothers and babies across a range of economic and social factors, and eliminating the racial disparities and implicit bias in our health care systems.”

With over 40 clinic physicians and labor & delivery registered nurses, 1,600+ annual deliveries, and more than 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 preterm births and infant deaths, and care for women with significant medical problems, such as HIV, diabetes, fetal complications or substance addictions. Within New Jersey, University Hospital ranks among the lowest C-section rates of all hospitals, the most successful vaginal birth after Csection (VBAC) rates, and the lowest episiotomy rates.

“We thank Dr. Adams for coming to University Hospital to discuss the current state of maternal care in New Jersey, and how we can all continue to provide the best possible care for our mothers and infants,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, President & CEO of University Hospital. “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.”

University Hospital was the first, and only hospital in Essex County to be designated as a BabyFriendly 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 breastmilk.