First Lady Tammy Murphy is in Lakewood this morning for the grand opening of TRU Birth Center.

As an energetic voice for maternal health, the First Lady has sought to shine a spotlight on practical solutions for New Jersey’s mothers. TRU Birth Center, conveniently located in Central New Jersey, exemplifies this vision and is one of the first institutions to be optimized for expectant mothers.

TRU Birth Center is under the medical direction of the experienced Clara Surowitz, MD, FACOG.

TRU Birth Center, currently celebrating a milestone of its 100th birth, has recently been recognized by Amerigroup for having New Jersey’s lowest rate of cesarean deliveries. Additionally, the birth center will significantly cut costs for the health care system, with the average birth being performed roughly half the costs compared to hospital deliveries according to a New York Times article. This combination of health and economic optimization can provide a boon for mothers everywhere.

Robyn D’Oria, CEO of Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, feels this could be an important precedent. “TRU has proven that a mother-first philosophy is not only better for maternal and infant health, but it also makes good business sense. By taking proper care of expectant mothers, birth centers can do good and do well at the same time.”

The First Lady established maternal health as one of her core goals with the establishment of the Nurture NJ initiative in 2019. Since then, she has implemented the Nurture NJ Maternal and Infant Health Strategic Plan – a practical goal-oriented strategy aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality for all New Jersey residents. The plan includes increased maternal health screenings, more access to medical care, and increased coverage for beneficial birth services like doula attendance.

She has expressed her excitement that mother and infants could receive a renewed focus, even from private medical establishments.

“Our state has always worked best when the public and private sectors work together. I am excited that the Nurture NJ emphasis on maternal health is being adopted by the state’s medical institutions and I’m looking forward to see how much better we can make it for mothers everywhere.”

In addition to First Lady Murphy, the event was attended by local officials, doctors, community leaders, and many of the mothers and families who are part of the 100 births of TRU Birth Center.