The long history of racial injustice in the United States – and in our healthcare delivery system – produces disparate health outcomes for people of color. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in maternal and infant health. A Black baby born in New Jersey today is more than 3 times more likely to die before its first birthday than a White infant.
NJHA examines the implicit biases that feed these disparities in a new course, Reducing Implicit Bias in Maternal and Child Health (link), released to coincide with the annual observance of Black Maternal Health Week April 11-17. The four-part course breaks down the conscious and unconscious biases within all individuals; describes their impact on healthcare access and treatment for Black and brown women; and explores interventions to defuse them. Dr. Meika Neblett, MD, lead of equity in clinical care at RWJBarnabas Health and chief medical officer and chief academic officer at Community Medical Center, serves as faculty.
This important course is complimentary, thanks to funding support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the N.J. Perinatal Quality Collaborative. It provides credits in continuing medical education, continuing nursing education, public health and certified health education specialists.
This education program builds on NJHA’s Patients, Prejudice and Policy speaker series and the work of the NJPQC to move this important, and sometimes uncomfortable, issue from awareness to action. It also supports the goals of Nurture NJ, championed by First Lady Tammy Murphy, to “make New Jersey the safest place in the nation to deliver and raise a baby.”
Learning Outcomes for this Session:
At the completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Explain and define implicit and explicit bias.
- Describe the impact that implicit bias has on health care, specifically on maternal and child health outcomes.
- Summarize the impact that patients' attitudes have towards healthcare and their likelihood to be misdiagnosed.
- Evaluate personal biases, and how personal bias impacts the patient care delivery in health care settings.
- Apply strategies, interventions, and tips in practice/organizations to reduce implicit bias in work environments.
HRET is accredited by the Medical Society of New Jersey to provide continuing education for physicians.
HRET designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™.
Physicians should claim only the credits commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
New Jersey State Nurses Association Accreditation Statement
HRET is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the New Jersey State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Provider Number P-131-3/2024.
This activity awards 1 nursing contact hour.
The planning committee, presenters, facility, authors, and content reviewers have no relevant financial interests to disclose. Disclosure forms are required and reviewed for any issues. Speakers are required to present balanced and unbiased presentations. The presentation’s content has been reviewed and any bias has been eliminated.
Accreditation status does not imply endorsement by HRET, NJSNA, ANCC Commission on Accreditation of any commercial products displayed with this program.
CHES and Public Health
The Rutgers School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Workforce Development is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc., and approved by the New Jersey Department of Health as a provider of NJ Public Health Continuing Education credits.
This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive 1.0 total Category I contact education contact hour and 1.0 NJ Public Health Continuing Education Credit.
ASWB ACE individual course approval
Reducing Implicit Bias in Maternal and Child Health, Course #4406, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by New Jersey Hospital Association as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 05/16/2023 - 05/16/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 1 general continuing education credits.
Financial Disclosures
Funding for this conference was made possible (in part) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.