Maternal and Child Health

Health

New Jersey’s racial disparities in the area of maternal and child health are among the largest in the nation. The infant mortality rate for black infants is more than three times that of white infants, and black women are almost seven times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications as white women.

GNHCC recognizes the importance of tackling this crisis and strives to improve outcomes for birthing people in the Greater Newark, NJ region with a specific focus on Medicaid consumers. Through the GNHCC Maternal and Infant Health portfolio, current priorities include (1) Implementing non-hospital maternal safety bundles; (2) Supporting the Medicaid doula benefit implementation; and (3) Supporting the Medicaid postpartum benefit implementation.

These priorities are supported via various local, state, and national initiatives including the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Community Care Initiative (AIM-CCI), Community of Caring Doula Cooperatives via the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern NJ, WIC Community Innovation and Outreach, and Healthy Women, Healthy Families – Essex County via the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern NJ.

Please visit https://www.newarkmom.org/ for important messaging for Greater Newark birthing people, families, support people, and providers.