Influencing State Health Policy by Improving Regional Perinatal Practice

A maternal and child health consortium in New Jersey encounters unique opportunities to influence and implement State health policy while carrying out regional responsibilities. The mission of the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative (SNJPC) is to work with hospitals, professionals and public health agencies in seven counties to improve professional practice and to oversee the implementation of State regulations and legislation. Over twenty years, SNJPC has developed considerable expertise in developing local programs that reflect best practices and have a statewide impact. The presenter will describe 1) the incremental success of a practice improvement strategy for prenatal substance abuse screening in one city that led to state level policy change and 2) how regional collaboration and consultation assisted providers to implement practice changes required by new State legislation mandating postpartum depression screening. The presenter will offer specific strategies and tools used to address organizational and service-related challenges that are often encountered in the process of implementing practice change and influencing policy development.