South Middlesex Times

The Rutgers School of Nursing is set to lead a $75 million state initiative aimed at enhancing maternal and infant care. The initiative, funded by the New Jersey Department of Economic Development, will establish the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center in Trenton, N.J., in collaboration with Capital Health and the Trenton Health Team.

Dean of the School of Nursing, Linda Flynn, expressed her excitement about the collaborative venture, stating, "I am delighted that Rutgers School of Nursing is leading this unprecedented collaborative venture among multiple higher education partners."

The consortium of educational institutions involved in the initiative will focus on research, education policy, and advocacy to make healthcare more equitable and improve perinatal outcomes. Director of the Nurse-Midwifery Program at the School of Nursing, Julie Blumenfeld, highlighted the importance of expanding and diversifying the perinatal workforce to enhance care for women and pregnant individuals in New Jersey.

Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences Chancellor, Brian Strom, emphasized the university's commitment to advancing maternal health equity for the community, stating, "Rutgers brings significant value to this program, and we are committed to advancing maternal health equity for our community."

The initiative will not only provide education and training programs but will also establish a world-class perinatal health equity research center to address various aspects of perinatal health equity, workforce development, health economics, health policy, and population health.

The collaboration between Rutgers and its partner schools aims to maximize effectiveness through coordination and collaboration, as mentioned by Blumenfeld, who stated, "We look forward to working together and coordinating our efforts to maximize our effectiveness."

The Rutgers-led efforts in the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center are part of a broader project supported by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, with further details available through the authority.