Julie Blumenfeld (DNP, CNM, FACNM, FAAN), clinical assistant professor and the program director for the Nurse-Midwifery and the Dual Women’s Health/Nurse-Midwifery programs at Rutgers School of Nursing, is one of four New Jersey residents profiled by NJSpotlight News for their “notable efforts to improve the lives of others locally or statewide.”

Cited for being a leader behind the scenes in NJ’s push to reduce its high maternal mortality, Blumenfeld describes what makes midwifery unique in its evidence-based approach to providing top-quality, patient-centered care.

“Some of the things that are really fundamentals in that model of care are centering the patient’s autonomy, educating patients, and providing what we call patient-centered care,” she said. That means decisions are based on what is best for the individual giving birth, not for the doctor’s or hospital’s schedule or convenience, and medical interventions are avoided if possible. “It’s really relationship-based care, which is we focus on listening and really being present for our patients,” she said.