In a win for maternal health in the Garden State, First Lady Tammy Murphy recently announced that New Jersey was the recipient of $25M in funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury for the construction of the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center (MIHIC). The Center, which is set to be built in Trenton, promises to be a one-of-a-kind hub for mothers, babies, and families throughout the Garden State. In the creation of this resource, the Garden State will take another step closer to eliminating racial disparities in birthing outcomes and making New Jersey the safest, most equitable state to grow your family.
Per Tammy Murphy, New Jersey’s First Lady and the mind behind Nurture NJ, “While we still have more work to do, I am incredibly proud of the momentum behind Nurture NJ’s mission to solve New Jersey’s maternal and infant health crisis. Now, thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration and our dedicated congressional delegation’s commitment to provide essential resources for our Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center – a one-of-a-kind hub for developing groundbreaking maternal health care innovations – Nurture NJ will not only be able to lead the maternal care transformation here in New Jersey, but also nationwide, ensuring equitable and compassionate care for every mother and baby.”
Mayor of Trenton Reed Gusciora weighed in, noting “This transformative initiative, spearheaded by First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ Maternal and Infant Health Strategic Plan and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, signifies our commitment to ensuring every family in our community has access to quality care. With the Capital Project Fund bolstering federal and state support, we are poised to make Trenton a beacon of safety and equity for all mothers and infants, setting the standard for the nation to follow.”
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman shared, “As New Jersey’s sole appropriator in Congress I am proud to see $25 million awarded by the federal government in support of the MIHIC right here in Trenton. New Jersey has made tremendous strides in fighting the maternal and infant mortality crisis and it is a testament to the incredible things we are able to accomplish through collaboration between the Biden-Harris Administration, our First Lady, the Murphy Administration, and state and local partners. While we have much work yet to do, the Trenton Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center will go a long way toward making New Jersey the best place in the country to birth and raise a child.”
The funding for this project comes from the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Project Fund (CPF), a component of the American Rescue Plan. Funding from the CPF supports critical infrastructure projects that promote public health and safety. In supporting projects like the MIHIC, the Capital Project Fund hopes to build resiliency, economic strength, and quality of life in the communities the program serves.
The MIHIC exists within the broader framework of Nurture NJ, an innovative Strategic Plan designed to make transformative changes to the maternal health system, with a particular emphasis on improving outcomes for mothers of color. The Nurture NJ framework was designed with input from NJ’s departments and agencies, health systems, physicians, midwives, doulas, community organizations, and most critically, mothers. From building racial equity infrastructure and capacity to shifting mindsets regarding how we approach birth and parenting, the Nurture NJ Strategic Plan promises to change the way we deliver and raise babies in the Garden State.
For more information on the Nurture NJ Strategic Plan, please visit their website, linked here: NurtureNJ. Now another step closer to the construction of the Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center, New Jersey is once again putting families first in the Capital City and beyond.
