Rutgers School of Nursing and Axia Women’s Health announced Jan. 29 a strategic partnership that will enhance clinical rotation opportunities for nurse-midwifery students.
The collaboration will allow students to gain practical, real-world experience by working at one of Axia Women’s Health’s 100-plus locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The company operates one of the largest, integrated health care networks dedicated to women, specializing in obstetrics, gynecology, fertility, maternal-fetal medicine, urogynecology, behavioral health, mammography, midwifery and laboratory services.
“This partnership is an exciting opportunity to expand our clinical site options for students,” said Julie Blumenfeld, clinical associate professor and nurse-midwifery program director at Rutgers School of Nursing at Rutgers Health. “We’re thrilled to be working with the highly skilled providers at Axia Women’s Health to ensure our students graduate with the relevant skills needed to deliver exceptional patient care with confidence and compassion.”
In the United States, the share of births attended by midwives has steadily increased in the past decade, with midwives now attending about 12% of births nationwide, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
At the same time, the Association of American Colleges and Universities projects a shortage of 86,000 physicians by 2036, highlighting the role advanced practice providers, including nurse-midwives, play in expanding access to care and supporting positive women’s health outcomes.
Some studies have shown midwifery care to reduce caesarean section rates and increase successful vaginal births in the low-risk population, lowering the risk of complications for expectant mothers.
“We’re proud to help train and support the next generation of advanced practice providers,” said Thomas Dardarian, chief medical officer of Axia Women’s Health. “These providers play a critical role each day in our care centers, working in collaboration with our physicians to provide high-quality, patient-centric, comprehensive, and cost-effective women’s health care.”
The Rutgers School of Nursing has an enrollment of more than 1,800 students on campuses in Newark, New Brunswick, and Blackwood, as well as online.
Axia Women’s Health is the nation’s largest community-based, integrated women’s health network in the country serving women throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Kentucky. It is a community of more than 400 providers at nearly 150 locations.
