{"id":758,"date":"2025-12-09T17:59:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T17:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/nurture-nj\/?p=758"},"modified":"2025-12-09T18:01:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T18:01:09","slug":"new-study-reveals-progress-in-hospital-maternity-care-access-in-new-jersey-with-opportunities-for-continued-improvement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/nurture-nj\/new-study-reveals-progress-in-hospital-maternity-care-access-in-new-jersey-with-opportunities-for-continued-improvement\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Reveals Progress in Hospital Maternity Care Access in New Jersey, with Opportunities for Continued Improvement"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Original Story in Rutgers Today <\/a><\/em><\/strong>by Nakaysha Gonzalez, MPH<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rutgers Health\u2019s evaluation of Nurture NJ examines efforts to expand access to services provided by midwives, doulas and lactation consultants\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

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The availability of maternity care services varies considerably throughout New Jersey hospitals with those having the fewest services are more likely to serve Hispanic patients, while those with the most services serve a larger proportion of White patients, according to Rutgers Health researchers.<\/p>\n

These are among the key findings of a Rutgers School of Public Health report titled, \u201cAssessing the Availability of Maternity Care Services at NJ Hospitals: Access to Midwives, Doulas and Lactation Consultants<\/em><\/a>,\u201d which evaluates efforts of the statewide initiative\u00a0Nurture NJ<\/a>\u00a0to expand access to critical maternity care services provided by midwives, doulas and lactation consultants.<\/p>\n

Launched in 2019, Nurture NJ aims to make New Jersey \u201cthe safest and most equitable place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.\u201d Policies advancing this goal include making doula care a Medicaid-covered benefit, increasing reimbursement rates for providers (including pay equity for midwives and obstetricians), ensuring doulas have access to hospitals and investing in midwifery education and training to expand the workforce.<\/p>\n

To assess the availability of maternity care services following these efforts, members of the Rutgers School of Public Health evaluation team collaborated with the\u00a0New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute<\/a>\u00a0to analyze data from the\u00a02024 Maternity Care Report\u00a0<\/a>by the Leapfrog Group, a national non-profit that collects and reports on hospital care metrics, combined with NJ Department of Health hospital demographic data.<\/p>\n

The analysis focused on hospitals\u2019 reports regarding the availability of certified nurse-midwives or certified midwives for attending births, whether patients could bring their own doulas, whether the hospital employed or contracted with doulas and the availability of lactation support within the hospital, in outpatient settings and at home.<\/p>\n

Key findings from the evaluation include:<\/p>\n