Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, as she so often does, cut straight to the point.
“In one of the richest states in the richest country in the world, one with almost unlimited resources, many of our health crises are a policy choice and a policy failure,” she said. “But it’s a choice we no longer have to make and a failure we no longer accept.”
Watson was speaking at “Advancing Women’s Health” – a half-day seminar highlighting New Jersey’s life sciences’ commitment to women’s health and innovating new medical advances and treatments for women.
The event, organized by the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey and Organon and aided by premier sponsor Novartis and supporting sponsor Ferring, brought an all-star cast of thought leaders – in government and industry – to Trenton to discuss the issue.
First Lady Tammy Murphy, who has made maternal health a key focal part of the past seven years through her Nurture NJ program, said more must be done – and must be done by more organizations working together.
“It has been incredibly inspiring to watch Nurture NJ grow and to see the overwhelming support for New Jersey’s moms and babies from our community partners, (but) we know that if we are truly going to solve New Jersey’s maternal health crisis, we must collaborate,” she said.
“I am grateful to all the participants of today’s seminar, whose dedication to critical innovation is central to our work. And I am proud that these partnerships will be sustained after the Murphy Administration by our Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, which will oversee a state-of-the-art Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center located in the heart of Trenton. Together, we will make New Jersey the safest and most equitable state in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.”
Sarah Adelman, the commissioner of the N.J. Department of Human Services, agreed.
“Today’s discussions highlight New Jersey’s strong commitment to women’s health and simultaneously shows more still needs to be done to improve access, quality, and equity,” she said. “Fostering partnerships between community leaders, policymakers, patient advocates, and industry enhances New Jersey’s leadership in addressing women’s health challenges with respect and innovation.”
Loredana Cromarty, head of U.S. state policy and government affairs at organon, noted funding shortfalls.
“For far too long, the study of women’s health issues has been underfunded,” she said. “Just 4% of all healthcare research and development is focused on women’s health, and women are still underrepresented in nearly all clinical trials. Organon’s mission is to create what has been missing
in women’s healthcare, to improve everyday health for women around the world and we are proud to cohost today’s important discussion.”
HINJ CEO Chrissy Buteas said the state’s life sciences companies are transforming lives globally by developing groundbreaking treatments and cures.
“As a historic leader in advancing women’s health, this sector continues to innovate with therapies that raise awareness and deliver hope within the medical community,” she said. “Today’s program participants embody that commitment, driving progress and shaping the future of medical care for women worldwide. We are deeply grateful for their contributions and unwavering dedication to improving lives.”
Watson said the next steps need to be transformative ones. The issue, she said, is too great and too far-reaching.
“This year, 50 million Americans got access to health insurance through the Affordable Care Act – the most ever – this should rightly be celebrated,” she said. “The percentage of Americans without insurance is at an all-time low, but that still leaves 25 million of our fellow Americans uninsured – about 1 in 13. Many more are underinsured.
“There is still much more work to be done in ensuring everyone has access to high quality, affordable medical care. And it will take all of us working together to protect the progress we’ve already made, especially when it comes to women’s health. I’m grateful to have such stalwart allies in this work. I know that together we can make a society without health disparities a reality.”
