The American Public Health Association will highlight the work of the Nurse-Family Partnership program during their Annual Meeting this fall. The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey staff, which implements this innovative United Way of Greater Union County-funded program, will present the project titled: "Adapting to unprecedented change during the COVID-19 pandemic while strengthening social connectedness by innovative technology for nurse home visitation".
Sarah Bilyj, MBA, BSN, RN, Supervisor of the Nurse-Family Partnership for Hudson and Union counties, will share an oral presentation in a special session for Enhancing Social Connectedness through the Public Health Workforce. The abstract highlights changes in best practice, data analysis, and outcomes to support their clients during the COVID-19 pandemic while strengthening social connectedness for families served. The American Public Health Association is the national leader in public health standards. This recognition is a testament to the vital work of the Nurse-Family Partnership nurse home visitors who work every day to support pregnancy and new parenthood.
On behalf of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, Ms. Bilyj will also present at RE: CONNECT 2021, the annual Nurse-Family Partnership conference. The presentation titled "Nurse-Family Partnership of Hudson/Union: A quality improvement PDSA cycle to increase staff satisfaction and improve team efficiency" highlights the findings of a quality improvement effort to better support staff through flexible scheduling in 2019-2020. During the pandemic, the transition to virtual connections and evening visits offered increased flexibility for both staff and the families. There was a significant increase in compliance with home visitation, communication between the nurses and the families, and client satisfaction. These standards continue as the team transitions back to an in-person hybrid approach. Other home visitation models can replicate findings from this process.
"Serving women and families during the height of the pandemic was difficult, but our staff rose to the challenge. They never lost sight of the importance of keeping the mothers and children we serve connected to critical services," stated Liliana Pinete, MD, MPH, Chief Operations Officer for the Partnership of Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey. "We are proud of the work of the Nurse-Family Partnership and grateful for this collaboration with the United Way of Greater Union County."
The Nurse-Family Partnership provides specially trained nurses to regularly visit first-time moms-to-be, beginning early in their pregnancy and continuing through the child's second birthday. The critical support received by these families creates a lasting impact on the health and prosperity of mothers and children. Services are free, voluntary, and include assessment, education, support, goal setting, and resources/referrals.