Sponsored by:
Senator NILSA CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes training protocols and treatment guidelines for general hospitals providing maternity care.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on February 7, 2019, with amendments.
An Act concerning maternity care and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Health shall 1[establish] develop maternity care1 training protocols and treatment guidelines for 1[each] the use of1 general 1[hospital providing] hospitals licensed to provide1 maternity care 1[that is licensed]1 pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) 1[to follow as a condition of licensure in the following areas of concern, as determined by the department, to ensure the safety of female patients in maternity care] . The training protocols and treatment guidelines shall focus on ensuring the safety of maternity care patients throughout the prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum periods, with the goal of reducing the number of, and disparities in, adverse maternity care outcomes.
b. The training protocols and treatment guidelines developed by the department pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall, at a minimum, include best practices with regard to1:
(1) 1screening for and treating1 maternal depression and anxiety;
(2) 1screening for and treating1 maternal venous thromboembolism;
(3) obstetric care for women with opioid use disorder;
(4) 1screening for and treating1 obstetric hemorrhaging;
(5) postpartum care basics for maternal safety from birth [through] 1to the comprehensive1 postpartum 1[stage] visit1;
(6) 1[prevention of] preventing against1 retained vaginal sponges following birth;
(7) 1[reduction of peripartum,] addressing the risk factors associated with1 racial and ethnic disparities 1in maternity care outcomes1;
(8) 1[safe reduction] safely reducing the number1 of 1[primary]1 cesarean 1[birth] births that are not medically indicated1;
(9) 1screening for and treating1 severe hypertension during pregnancy;
(10) 1providing1 multidisciplinary support following a severe 1[maternal] adverse1 event 1involving a maternity care patient1; and
(11) postpartum care basics for maternal safety 1during the transition1 from maternity to well-woman care.
1c. A hospital licensed to provide maternity care
services shall ensure compliance with the training protocols and treatment
guidelines developed pursuant to this section as a condition of licensure.1
2. The Department of Health shall, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules or regulations as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.