New Jersey Maternal Mortality Review Committee - Problem: The death of a woman during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after delivery is a tragedy for her family and for society as a whole. Tragically, several women and birthing people in New Jersey have died as a result of pregnancy/delivery complications, the chain of events initiated by pregnancy, or the aggravation of an unrelated condition by the physiologic effects of pregnancy. Further, considerable racial disparities exist, with Black, non-Hispanic women almost six times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White, non-Hispanic women in New Jersey. Yet, findings from review of maternal mortality indicate that more eighty percent of these deaths are preventable. This funding application will support the NJ Maternal Mortality Review Committee to identify and characterize maternal deaths with the goal of identifying prevention opportunities, especially those among populations disproportionately affected by pregnancy-related mortality. Goals and Outcomes: This cooperative agreement will support ($570,000 per year for 5 years) the NJDOH to coordinate and manage the NJ Maternal Mortality Review Committee (NJMMRC) to identify and characterize maternal deaths for identifying prevention opportunities. The grant requires the NJ MMRC 1) to identify pregnancy-associated deaths within one year of death; 2) to abstract and enter clinical and non-clinical data into a standard data system [Maternal Mortality Review Information Application (MMRIA)], 3) to conduct multidisciplinary reviews, and 4) to enter committee decisions in MMRIA within 2 years of death. Methodology: The strengthening of the NJ MMRC and the implementation of the strategies and activities outlined in the NJ MMRC Logic Model (Attachment 1) will produce the short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes necessary to reduce preventable maternal deaths. Recently enacted NJ legislation (P.L. 2019, c. 75) will strengthen the legal authority of the MMRC and meet the funding requirements that provide the MMRC: a) authority to access clinical and non-clinical records; b) confidentiality protections of data collected, proceedings and activities; c) access to vital statistic data on all pregnancy-associated deaths; d) ability to share collected (MMRIA) data with the CDC; e) disseminate findings across legislative/policy, community, and clinical stakeholders. Coordination: NJ will expand existing collaboration with programs and organizations both internal and external to the CDC. Required letters of support from key stakeholder partnerships demonstrate the extensive collaboration with the NJMMRC and include: the NJDOH Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, the NJ Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS), the Maternal and Child Health Consortia, the NJ Maternal Care Quality Collaborative, Maternal and Child Health programming, and the NJDOH Office of Data Ethics, Privacy and Research Integrity. Evaluation: Progress on completing strategies and activities and advancing outcomes will be evaluated by the NJMMRC and the CDC by reviewing Work Plans, assessing funding performance measures, analyzing quarterly progress reports, holding monthly conference calls, reviewing annual site visits, and examining NJ MMRIA data on a quarterly basis.
