26:6C-3 New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative (NJMCQC)

3. a. There is hereby established in the Department of Health the New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative (NJMCQC) that shall work with the Governor's office to coordinate all efforts and strategies to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity, and racial and ethnic disparities in the State, including supervision and oversight of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

b. The NJMCQC shall work collaboratively with current organizations that are developing and implementing maternal mortality and morbidity reduction strategies, including the New Jersey Hospital Association's Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative.

c. The NJMCQC shall be composed of 34 members, including nine ex-officio members and 25 public members appointed by the Governor.

(1) The ex officio members shall include the following persons or their designees:

the Commissioner of Health;

the Commissioner of Human Services;

the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance;

the Commissioner of Children and Families;

the Deputy Commissioner of Health Systems in the Department of Health;

the Deputy Commissioner of Public Health Services in the Department of Health;

the Director of the Office of Minority and Multicultural Health in the Department of Health;

the Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services; and

the Assistant Commissioner of Health and Life Insurance Plans in the Department of Banking and Insurance.

(2) The public members appointed by the Governor shall include members representing each of the following groups:

the New Jersey Hospital Association;

the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute;

the Catholic HealthCare Partnership of New Jersey;

the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey;

the Fair Share Hospitals Collaborative;

the New Jersey section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists;

the New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives;

the New Jersey Medical Society;

three medical directors of health plans in the State, as recommended to the commissioner by the President of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans;

the New Jersey Section of the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses;

the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians;

Planned Parenthood of New Jersey;

the New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons;

the New Jersey Primary Care Association;

the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey;

the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium;

the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative;

each of the three Accountable Care Organizations established pursuant to P.L.2011, c.114 or any successor organization to that Accountable Care Organization; and

three additional public members appointed on the recommendation of the Commissioner of Health, one who is engaged in maternal health advocacy; one who is engaged in health equity advocacy; and one who is engaged in healthcare consumer advocacy.

d. The public members of the NJMCQC shall serve without compensation and shall each serve for a term of three years. Each public member shall serve for the term of appointment and shall serve until a successor is appointed and qualified, except that a public member may be reappointed to the NJMCQC upon the expiration of their term. Any vacancy in the membership shall be filled, for the unexpired term, in the same manner as the original appointment.

e. The NJMCQC shall adopt and implement the strategic plan for the State of New Jersey to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity and racial and ethnic disparities. The NJMCQC shall meet quarterly to coordinate activities that forward the strategic plan, strategize on future activities, solicit funding opportunities, focus on translating the data collected by, the Maternal Data Center, the Healthcare Quality and Informatics Unit, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the Department of Health, and its partners into action items, and communicate goals and achievement of these goals with stakeholders.

f. The NJMCQC shall:

(1) Employ an Executive Director, a Program Manager, and any other personnel as authorized by the Commissioner of Health. The Department of Health shall provide such administrative staff support to the NJMCQC as shall be necessary for the NJMCQC to carry out its duties. The director shall be appointed by the commissioner and shall serve at the pleasure of the commissioner during the commissioner's term of office and until the appointment and qualification of the director's successor;

(2) Apply for and accept any grant of money from the federal government, private foundations or other sources, which may be available for programs related to maternal mortality, morbidity and racial and ethnic disparities;

(3) Serve as the designated State entity for receipt of federal funds specifically designated for programs concerning maternal mortality, morbidity and racial and ethnic disparities;

(4) Enter into contracts with individuals, organizations, and institutions necessary for the performance of its duties under P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:2C-1 et al.); and

(5) Work with the Center for Healthcare Quality and Informatics to develop and publicize statistical information on maternal mortality, morbidity and racial and ethnic disparities and information as provided for pursuant to P.L.2018, c.82 (C.26:2H-5j).

g. The NJMCQC is entitled to call to its assistance, and avail itself of, the services of employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes. All departments, agencies and divisions are authorized and directed, to the extent not inconsistent with law, to cooperate with the NJMCQC.

L.2019, c.75, s.3.