On Thursday, January 23, 2025, healthcare professionals, advocates, and policymakers from across New Jersey convened at the Forsgate Country Club for the Statewide Maternal Health Awareness Day Conference. Hosted by The Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern New Jersey, Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, and The Cooperative, this free, in-person event brought to life the 2025 theme: “From Awareness to Action.”
Since its inception in 2017, Maternal Health Awareness Day has evolved from raising awareness about maternal health to producing actionable and meaningful change. This year’s conference highlighted New Jersey’s ongoing efforts to improve maternal health outcomes, showcasing the collaborative work of the state’s three maternal health consortia and the transformative impact of First Lady Tammy Murphy’s Nurture NJ Initiative.
Opening Remarks: A Unified Vision for Maternal Health
The conference began with reflections from MarieKarl Vilceus-Talty, President & CEO of The Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern New Jersey; Robyn D’Oria, Chief Executive Officer of Central Jersey Family Health Consortium; and Helen Hannigan, President & CEO of The Cooperative. Each leader emphasized the power of collaboration, underscoring their shared mission to foster innovative solutions, professional resources, and community programming to address maternal health disparities.
Keynote Address: Advocacy Rooted in Personal Loss
Keynote speaker Ryan Hansen, Founder and President of The Tara Hansen Foundation, delivered a moving address recounting the preventable loss of his wife, Tara, to postpartum complications. Hansen’s advocacy led to the creation of Maternal Health Awareness Day in New Jersey with the launch of the “Stop. Look. Listen!” campaign, empowering mothers and families to advocate for their health and encouraging providers to stop, look, and listen to their patients’ concerns.
His heartfelt message underscored the importance of listening to mothers. He urged providers to come together with their patients to bridge communication gaps in maternal care, remarking that had he known the warning signs of infection and what questions to ask, maybe Tara’s outcome would have been different. Hansen emphasized the need for more candid conversations surrounding pregnancy and postpartum complications, “so that no child grows up having to learn about their mother through stories and photographs.”
Stories of Growth and Innovation
Liliana Morales, Project Manager of the New Jersey Perinatal Quality Collaborative, delivered an inspiring presentation titled “Better Together.” Morales illustrated how shaping policy and practice with input from patient experiences leads to lasting improvements and positive outcomes. She highlighted the integration of patient voices into the development of evidence-based AIM Safety Bundles—a collection of evidence-informed best practices addressing multiple pregnancy or birth complications bedside professionals might face—which have been instrumental in reducing mortality outcomes.
In the theme of her talk, the AIM bundles exemplify what it means to be “better together” by incorporating patient voices and experiences into the development of these clinical practices using a patient-family advisory board. “Bringing a patient voice to all aspects of provider care is important,” Morales said. “It allows us to check the pulse of the care we are giving.”
Morales encouraged attendees to find their “why” in this work and shared her own story, moving from working bedside to nurse administration to her current role—all driven by her passion to improve maternal health. “Every stage [of your career] has a calling, a season, and a reason,” she said, encouraging patience and persistence in the journey toward improved maternal health. Her message resonated, reminding attendees that small, consistent actions lead to transformative change.
Empowering Families Through Family Connects NJ
A panel discussion moderated by Brandie Wooding, Program Director for Universal Home Visiting at the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, showcased the impact of Family Connects NJ. Panelists, including program staff and a participating mother, highlighted the immense impact of the program that launched officially in 2024.
Based on the Family Connects International model, the program was implemented in New Jersey after advocacy efforts brought to light the staggering number of mothers who did not have access to postpartum care and resources.
The program’s holistic approach—offering a free, in-home nurse visit to all families within the service area to provide critical care within the first two weeks of delivery—has made a profound difference in maternal confidence and family well-being. The experience begins with a pre-visit call, where the nurse learns what questions or concerns the family wants to address. The nurse then visits the family for upwards of two hours, addressing concerns, demonstrating best practices, providing referrals for emergent care if needed, or helping the family find regular postpartum and pediatric care, as well as information on additional resources for food, transportation, baby supplies, and more. A follow-up call addresses further questions or concerns and provides additional resources.
“I felt very validated,” said Marissa, a panelist and mother who had received a visit in 2024. “They [the nurse] met me in my space, and I felt validated as a mother and confident that I could take the time to care for myself and focus on my health.” With plans to expand statewide by 2027, Family Connects NJ represents a critical step toward equitable, accessible maternal care.
Addressing Substance Use and Maternal Health
Iris Jones, Executive Director of the Office of Women’s Health at the New Jersey Department of Health, delivered a poignant presentation on “Integrated Care for People with Substance Use Disorder in the Perinatal Period.” Jones emphasized the urgent need for trauma-informed, harm-reduction approaches to care, particularly for Black and marginalized communities disproportionately affected by substance use disorders. She challenged attendees to confront how systemic racism perpetuates stigma in perinatal substance use care and how this stigma impacts the level of care given to pregnant women of color with substance use disorders versus their white counterparts.
Her data-driven insights revealed that while maternal mortality rates in New Jersey are improving, substance use-related deaths remain a significant challenge. The data showed only an estimated 1 in 10 pregnant women receive treatment due to stigma and barriers such as Medicaid limitations, lack of space for mothers and babies in long-term residential facilities, and inadequate medical care for pregnancy in short-term facilities.
Jones’ call for action introduced a low-threshold, trauma-informed care model that removes common barriers and addresses stigmas. This model includes walk-in access, flexible office hours, minimal documentation requirements, and integrated services to address medical and social concerns.
Using this model, Jones saw an 80% retention rate for perinatal opioid use treatment within the first three months. She reminded the audience that action is necessary to address perinatal substance use and ensure health equity for all, declaring, “There is no equity for anyone if there is not equity for everyone.”
From Awareness to Action
The 2025 Maternal Health Awareness Day Conference celebrated New Jersey’s progress while reinforcing the collective commitment to action. First Lady Tammy Murphy highlighted how far New Jersey has come in the last seven years in addressing the maternal health crisis, highlighting that New Jersey has moved from 47th to 28th in the nation in maternal mortalities and will set a national standard for addressing maternal health disparities by becoming the first state in the nation to have a dedicated Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center.
The stories shared, strategies discussed, and connections forged at the January 23rd conference reaffirmed a shared mission: ensuring that every mother in New Jersey receives the care, respect, and support she deserves. Together, we are taking action for a healthier, more equitable future.
