RWJUH New Brunswick Hosts Blood Drive for Maternal Health Day

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), Heroes for Moms and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School will hold a special blood drive and presentation on Wednesday, January 23 in recognition of the second annual Maternal Health Awareness Day.

The blood drive takes place from noon-5:30 p.m. in RWJUH’s Courtyard, 1 Robert Wood Johnson Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. To make an appointment, e-mail casey@heroesformoms.com or visit http://rwjuhdonorclub.org. Walk-ins are welcome.

For those who cannot make it to the New Brunswick blood drive, Heroes for Moms will host a Blood and Diaper Drive on Thursday, January 24 from 1-7 p.m. at Woodside Chapel, 5 Morse Avenue, Fanwood, NJ 07023. For information or to register to donate, please call Casey Cattell at 908-800-2898, e-mail Casey@heroesformoms.com or visit www.rwjuhdonorclub.org. Walk-ins are also welcome. Members of the media interested in covering the day’s events can contact Peter Haigney at RWJUH at 732-937-8568 or 908-227-9317 (cell).

In addition to collecting much needed blood and blood donation products to replenish supplies which are traditionally low during the winter months, the event seeks to bring attention to maternal health awareness. During the drive there will be several organizations on hand with maternal health resource materials for donors and members of the public.

Heroes for Moms is a national platform that raises awareness of perinatal complications (pregnancy and postpartum). It also promotes blood drive events focused on saving the lives of moms who need blood to survive childbirth. These blood drives save lives and raise awareness of pregnancy conditions that may cause hemorrhaging, including placenta accreta and uterine atony. These events are organized by moms and survivors, who survived in part by blood transfusions after giving birth, and supported by organizations advocating for maternal health education and awareness. Survivors are in attendance to share their personal stories of why blood donations are so important and to thank those who give the gift of life.

Bridgewater resident Casey Cattell is a survivor who serves as Heroes for Moms’ New Jersey Ambassador and is a strong advocate for blood donation and maternal health awareness. Cattell experienced life-threatening complications during her pregnancy and then again after delivering her first child in 2015, needing life-saving blood and blood product transfusions.

“If it was not for the transfusions and the generosity of those who gave blood, I may not have become stable enough to have surgery and wouldn’t be here right now to raise my son,” Cattell explained. “You do not realize how great the need is (for blood donation) until you go through something like this yourself. I certainly did not know that new mothers are one of the largest groups of people requiring blood until I became one of them. I want to do my part to ensure the next patient has the blood they need so they can be survivors too.”

Cattell adds, “Going through all of this has been eye opening. I didn’t know the rate of maternal mortality was rising in the United States while it was declining in other wealthy nations. The U.S. has a lot of room for improvement. It’s why the Tara Hansen Foundation’s Stop-Look-Listen campaign resonates with me. Had I waited another hour to go to the emergency room, it easily could have cost me my life,” she explained.

In addition to the Blood Drive, RWJUH and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School will host a presentation for health care providers followed by a panel discussion for New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School Students emphasizing the importance of Maternal Health Awareness.

Students at the school have designed a ribbon to promote the campaign in future years. RWJUH partners with New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School to offer students pursuing careers in the health sciences hands-on education and research opportunities.

In 2017, the New Jersey Legislature signed a joint resolution proclaiming Jan. 23 (1-23) of each year “Maternal Health Awareness Day.” It is believed to be the first state in the nation to make such a significant statement about the importance of maternal health and recognizing the need to address maternal health and mortality issues at local, state, and national levels. The proclamation was a result of efforts by The Tara Hansen Foundation, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, the New Jersey Section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the New Jersey Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, the New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives and legislative sponsor, State Sen. Joseph F. Vitale.

About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) New Brunswick, an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 600-bed academic medical center that serves as the principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.

RWJUH has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report seven times and has been selected by the publication as a high performing hospital in numerous specialties. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report five times. In addition, RWJUH was named among the best places to work in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine and received the Equity Care of Award as Top Hospital for Healthcare Diversity and Inclusion from the American Hospital Association. RWJUH Brunswick has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Award for Nursing Excellence and “Most Wired” designation by Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine. The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH New Brunswick among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers. For more Information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick

About Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

As one of the nation’s leading comprehensive medical schools, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. Part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 20 basic science and clinical departments, and hosts centers and institutes including The Cardiovascular Institute, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, and the Women’s Health Institute. The medical school has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as among the top 100 medical schools in the nation and No. 1 in the state for research and primary care.

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health facility and the medical school’s principal affiliate, comprise one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers. Clinical services are provided by more than 500 faculty physicians in 200+ specialties and subspecialties as part of Rutgers Health, the clinical arm of Rutgers University. To learn more about Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, visit rwjms.rutgers.edu.