The COVID-19 pandemic pushed us to be more resourceful, resilient, and collaborative — and provides opportunities to emerge with a stronger and more equitable health care system. To assess and further positive change, BioNJ and the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute joined forces to bring health care experts throughout the State together to create, “Emerging from COVID-19: An Action Plan for A Healthier State.”

A key focus area of our COVID-19 Action Plan was the need to create and support a resilient and diverse health care workforce for the future. To deliver safe, equitable, person-centered care, New Jersey needs a health care workforce sufficient in size, life experience, diversity, and training to meet the needs of its diverse and aging population.

To work toward implementing the Delivering Better Care: Midwifery Practice in New Jersey recommendations, the Quality Institute and the Burke Foundation will launch the Maternal Infant Health Hub as a policy and learning collaborative to strengthen midwifery practice and promote birth equity and justice in New Jersey. The Hub will convene midwives, advocates, and MIH stakeholders to create a shared learning space and provide educational resources focused on maternal health policy.