Maternal Health Awareness
RWJBarnabas Health Recognizes New Jersey's Annual Maternal Health Awareness Day
RWJBarnabas Health marked January 23 across its system as the annual statewide observance of Maternal Health Awareness Day. In 2018, New Jersey became the first state in the nation to designate a day calling for action to raise public awareness about maternal health and promote maternal safety.
In recognition of Maternal Health Awareness Day, facilities across the RWJBH system is hosting various education events for health care providers and the public to help increase awareness of maternal health issues within the communities they serve.
Maternal Health Awareness Day encourages people to come together to push for quality, equality and dignity of women. It is an opportunity for healthcare providers to educate, advocates and bring awareness to the importance of solutions that meet the physical, social and emotional needs of all women during pregnancy – and in the days, weeks, and months after giving birth.
Most women who give birth recover without problems. But any woman can have complications after the birth of a baby. Learning the post-birth warning signs and what to do can save your life or the life or someone you love.
Trust your instincts. If you feel something is wrong, call and get evaluated by your healthcare provider. If symptoms get worse or you do not hear back from your healthcare provider, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room.
By amplifying the voices of women, we are defining what healthcare means and what is important to them by supporting maternal health. Your voice matters. Join us in empowering women, their families and communities!
Maternal Health and Safety Virtual Seminars
RWJBarnabas Health, in conjunction with Rutgers University, The Tara Hansen Foundation, and the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium (CJFHC), will recognize Maternal Health Awareness Day with a week-long series of inter-professional virtual seminars on maternal health and safety.
The virtual seminars will take place from January 23 – January 29, 2021 and are all accessible virtually on a smartphone or computer.
The series kicks-off with an event for pregnant women and families on January 23 at 10am with Having a Healthy Pregnancy During a Pandemic, led by Ms. Spernal and Todd Rosen, MD, associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, and director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The session will address pregnancy and delivery concerns common during COVID-19 and will also feature Mia Sapp, a community health worker with Healthy Women, Healthy Families at the CJFHC, and Kathy Donaldson, MSN, APN, C, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB, CPLC, C-EFM, program coordinator of CJFHC's Perinatal Mood Disorders Initiative. Registration available here.
The inter-professional seminars are designed for all OB/GYN physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, midwives, genetic counselors, social workers, residents, fellows, medical students, emergency department providers, family medicine practitioners, and psychiatrists/psychologists. Featured inter-professional seminars include:
Monday, January 25th
- What's Data Got to Do with It? Understanding Maternal Child Health and Data-Driven Decision Making, hosted by CJFHC from 1 – 2pm
- Managing Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders in a Global Pandemic, hosted by RWJBarnabas Health from 2 – 3pm
Tuesday, January 26th
- How Doulas Affect Maternal Outcomes, hosted by RWJBarnabas Health from 11am – 12pm
- Improving Maternal and Fetal Outcomes through the Use of the Midwifery Model of Care, hosted by RWJBarnabas Health from 1 – 1:30pm
Wednesday, January 27th
- Stop-Look-Listen Campaign: Why This Is SO Important to Maternal Health, hosted by CJFHC from 12 – 1pm
- Building Trustworthy Systems for Childbirth, hosted by RWJBarnabas Health from 1-2pm
Thursday, January 28th
- Post-Birth Warning Signs Education: Not Just a Discharge Checklist, hosted by CJFHC from 11am – 12pm
- Management of Pregestational Diabetes in Pregnancy, hosted by RWJBarnabas Health from 2-3pm
Friday, January 29th
- A series of maternal health conversations, updates and panel discussions hosted by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. All sessions, beginning at 7:30am, will be held via Webex .
- Myths versus Reality: The Truths behind Perinatal Anxiety and Depression, hosted by CJFHC from 12 – 1pm
Healthcare professionals and community members may also participate in Maternal Health Awareness Day on social media using the hashtag #123Moms.