There are racial disparities in maternal and infant care in New Jersey and on Monday the state put more money into tackling that problem. The New Jersey Commission of Science, Innovation and Technology along with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority are establishing a $750,000 grant program. Grants will be awarded to New Jersey-based early-stage companies to help spur the development of products and services that support pregnant women and their children. Earlier this year the state launched a maternal innovation health center in Trenton, at the time saying that New Jersey ranks 47th in the nation for maternal deaths and has one of the widest racial disparities for both maternal and infant mortality.
Even before COVID-19, health care providers faced worker shortages in New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed new budget includes millions for workforce training, including $6 million for a program called NJ Pathways to Career Opportunities, a partnership the New Jersey Business and Industry Association has with county colleges. As NJ Spotlight News’ health care reporter Lilo Stainton reports, the goal is to get more workers certified for health care jobs. Holding onto those workers is key — the state forecasts more than 78,000 new health care jobs will be added by 2026. Read more on this topic here.
In New Jersey, the average price of gas is about $4.62 per gallon. That’s higher than the national average. Gas prices are up 57 cents per gallon over the past month.
