TRENTON, NJ — On Dec. 2, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced $5 million in grant funding to protect access to abortion care by ensuring that there is an expansive pool of abortion care providers in New Jersey in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade.
The funding, made available by the Murphy administration in fiscal year 2023, will be used to support abortion and reproductive health training and education for all practicing professionals who are eligible to provide abortion care in New Jersey and for students who are being trained to be licensed as a practicing professional whose scope of practice includes abortion care.
Funding to create and implement the “New Jersey Reproductive Training and Education Initiative” was made available to Rutgers University the week of Nov. 27 through a noncompetitive grant administered through the Division of Consumer Affairs.
“New Jersey, under the leadership of Gov. Murphy, is a staunch defender of reproductive rights. As other states shut down access to abortion care following the Dobbs ruling, we are taking steps to ensure our state has a sufficient number of health professionals to provide these important services,” Platkin said. “New Jersey is committed to supporting and defending the right to choose and we will continue working to facilitate access to abortion services for those who seek them.”
“Expanding the pool of health care professionals trained to provide abortion care is essential to ensuring that New Jersey residents and those from other states have access to the health services they need,” acting DCA Director Cari Fais said. “This funding opportunity will allow for a significant workforce expansion of abortion providers and enhance New Jersey’s ability to meet the increased demand for abortion and reproductive health services.”
In October 2021, the state board of medical examiners voted unanimously to adopt new rules to eliminate medically unnecessary regulations on abortion in New Jersey and to open new avenues for reproductive health care services across the state.
New rules published in the New Jersey Register in December 2021 cleared the path for advanced practice nurses, physician assistants and certified midwives to perform early aspiration terminations of pregnancy. The funding announced Dec. 2 will, among other things, help ensure that those practicing or studying to become licensed in these professions receive the training necessary to perform abortion services.
According to the attorney general’s office, numerous factors contributed to Rutgers’ ability to provide diverse training opportunities to expand access to abortion care throughout the state. Those factors include its multiple locations throughout the state; knowledgeable and innovative faculty and staff familiar with developing curriculum and clinical training programs for diverse learners; interprofessional workforce and student body; and an academic infrastructure for meaningful evaluation and future grant opportunities. This initiative leverages the interprofessional structure of Rutgers to support interprofessional education, research and practice. Additionally, the grant funding provides Rutgers the opportunity to collaborate with community partners who have long-term experience with and commitment to abortion training in New Jersey.
All training provided through the initiative is required to be patient-centered, trauma-informed and equity-based. The grant period runs from Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2025.
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