TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey will soon have a brand new first-of-its-kind facility centered on maternal and infant health, in Trenton. Gov. Phil Murphy and first lady Tammy Murphy joined other state officials on Tuesday to break ground on the future Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center.
The center is part of the first lady’s goal of making New Jersey the safest, most equitable place in the nation to deliver a baby and raise a child.
“It will provide comprehensive clinical care, wraparound support, and serve as a training hub for a workforce that reflects the communities it serves,” she said, “and it will become the nation's first strategic innovation center to focus solely on maternal and infant health."
The governor said the Garden State has made quite a dent in bridging the disparity gap, jumping from 47th to 28th in maternal mortality rates nationwide. “We still have a long way to go but the work continues here today with this groundbreaking,” he said, adding that finding solutions for maternal equity will be a particular focus.
"Some of those steps include codifying the right to doula care in a hospital or birth center. All in all we have invested millions of dollars into programs that support moms and babies.”
New Jersey has committed $86.7 million in federal and state funding for the center, which will be powered by Rutgers University Capitol Health and the Trenton Health team.