JERSEY CITY, NJ, April 28, 2026 – SciTech Scity and RWJBarnabas Health, in partnership with Flourish Care, have announced the launch of a new maternal health pilot at Jersey City Medical Center designed to improve pregnancy and postpartum outcomes.

This initiative focuses on connecting patients to community-based doulas who are accessible within their insurance plans. By integrating technology with community resources, the pilot creates a more seamless referral pathway—one that aligns clinical care with culturally competent, community-centered support throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

Doula care has been shown to improve outcomes for patients by providing continuous emotional, physical, and informational support, which can lead to lower rates of cesarean section, reduced preterm births, and improved patient satisfaction. For the healthcare team, doulas act as trusted partners who enhance communication, reinforce care plans, and help patients feel more informed and empowered, ultimately contributing to smoother care coordination. This collaborative model allows clinicians to focus on medical needs while doulas address social and emotional dimensions of care, creating a more holistic, efficient, and patient-centered maternity experience.

The pilot is one in a series created by the SciTech Scity Healthcare Innovation Engine. Launched in 2024, the Engine is a public-private partnership supported by a broad coalition of partners that includes EY, Bristol Myers Squibb, JPMorgan, RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey Innovation Institute, Tech Council Ventures, Princeton University, Nokia Bell Labs, and government agencies including the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the New Jersey Department of Health, and the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The Engine is dedicated to accelerating the adoption, reimbursement, and scaling of digital-first and community-based care models in New Jersey, with a focus on improving outcomes and advancing health equity. The program is part of a statewide public private partnership focused on testing and scaling new care models that improve outcomes and expand access, particularly for underserved communities.

Alex Richter, Executive Director and Head of the SciTech Scity Innovation Hub said, “through the Healthcare Innovation Engine, we’re exploring new models of maternal care that put families first. This pilot is a chance to test innovative solutions that improve access, strengthen support, and improve the lives of New Jersey residents.”

In New Jersey, doula care is now covered under NJ FamilyCare (the state’s Medicaid and CHIP program), which covers roughly 30,000 births annually. “Doulas play an essential role in the birthing team, supporting the mother with comfort, guidance and strength,” said Lisa Asare, President and CEO of the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority. The launch of this pilot is an important example of how innovative partnerships can expand access to culturally responsive, continuous support that we know makes a meaningful difference for families. By expanding access to doula care and embedding it directly into hospital settings, this pilot coordination is exactly the kind of approach needed to improve maternal health outcomes for mothers and babies across New Jersey.”

“This partnership is about improving the experience and outcomes for families during one of the most important moments of their lives,” said Suzanne Spernal, SVP of Women’s Health at RWJBarnabas Health. “By combining clinical care with trusted, culturally aligned doula support, we can help families feel more confident, supported, and better connected to care.”

Together, SciTech Scity’s Healthcare Innovation Engine, RWJBarnabas Health, and Flourish Care, are demonstrating what is possible when healthcare is responsive to the community. By surrounding families with both clinical excellence and compassionate support, this pilot reflects a shared belief that every parent and baby in New Jersey deserves a healthy start. As the program moves forward, it aims not only to improve outcomes in Jersey City, but also to serve as a model for how communities across the state and beyond can deliver more equitable, supportive, and family-centered maternal care.

About Flourish Care

Flourish Care provides insurance covered birth and postpartum doula support at no cost to eligible families. Working with Medicaid and more than 30 commercial health plans, Flourish connects patients to culturally aligned doulas and handles referrals, coordination, and billing so families and providers can focus on care.

About RWJBarnabas Health

RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.

RWJBarnabas Health partners with its diverse communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate and equitable manner and is the state’s largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.

RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers, with more than 44,000 employees, contributing more than $5.5 billion to the state economy every year. For more information, visit www.RWJBH.org.

About SciTech Scity & The Healthcare Innovation Engine

Liberty Science Center is developing a “Science City of Tomorrow” in Jersey City–a 30-acre innovation campus called SciTech Scity devoted to using science and technology to address humanity’s greatest challenges and create a better future for all of us. The new campus, including the existing Liberty Science Center, will be officially named the Frank J. Guarini Innovation Campus and start to open in 2026.

Supported by seven Fortune 500 level companies, the new construction at SciTech Scity will include: Liberty Science Center High School, a world-class public STEM high school; Edge Works, an eight-story business creation center with laboratories, R&D spaces, office suites, co-working spaces, a tech exhibition gallery, and a state-of-the-art conference center; Scholars Village residential housing built and operated by Alpine Residential; and Public Commons, three acres of outdoor space for community activations.

The Healthcare Innovation Engine, SciTech Scity’s flagship initiative, is the first statewide ecosystem in the country to accelerate digital health technology adoption. Recognized by the World Economic Forum with its 2025 Public-Private Collaboration Award, the Engine deploys patient pilots to translate promising new technologies into scalable solutions that improve health outcomes, advance equity, and reduce avoidable costs. Engine partners include public health officials, payors, providers, life sciences companies, innovative startups, and patient and community representatives.

Learn more at SciTechScity.com.

About Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center (LSC.org) is a 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park on the Jersey City bank of the Hudson near the Statue of Liberty. Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and bringing the power, promise, and pure fun of science and technology to learners of all ages, Liberty Science Center houses the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere, 11 museum exhibition halls, a live animal collection with 110 species, giant aquariums, a 3D theater, live simulcast surgeries, a tornado-force wind simulator, K-12 classrooms and labs, and teacher-development programs. More than 280,000 students visit the Science Center each year, and tens of thousands more participate in the Center’s off-site and online programs. Welcoming more than 800,000 visitors annually, LSC is the largest cultural institution in New Jersey and the largest interactive science center in the NYC-NJ metropolitan area.