Mercer Times

Toronto, Ontario — New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, alongside Rutgers University Executive Vice President Antonio Calcado and Ramapo College President Cindy Jebb, visited The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto (SickKids). This visit is part of a Governor-led mission to Canada by Choose New Jersey, a nonprofit business attraction organization.

The visit aims to establish collaboration between New Jersey universities and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School with SickKids. First Lady Tammy Murphy expressed her admiration for the work at SickKids: “I am deeply impressed with the transformative work underway at SickKids to improve the lives of so many mothers and babies in North America.” She emphasized her commitment to addressing New Jersey's maternal and infant health crisis.

The delegation discussed efforts to enhance pediatric healthcare access and train future pediatric experts. Collaborative projects between New Jersey researchers and SickKids were also highlighted. Antonio Calcado stated, "Our visit to SickKids highlights the importance of collaborative research in advancing maternal and children's health."

Cindy Jebb added, "It is an honor to be part of collaborative efforts between New Jersey and Canada, working together to advance maternal and children's health."

In 2021, First Lady Murphy launched the Nurture NJ Maternal and Infant Health Strategic Plan aimed at improving maternal and infant health outcomes in New Jersey. Initiatives under this plan include Medicaid coverage expansion for doula care and postpartum services.

Dr. Ronald Cohn of SickKids remarked on the collaboration: "We are thrilled to welcome First Lady Tammy Murphy and our esteemed colleagues from Rutgers University to SickKids." He acknowledged their shared commitment to child health improvement.

Lisa Asare from the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority noted, "First Lady Tammy Murphy's visit to SickKids underscores our shared commitment to advancing maternal and children's health."

For more information on the mission, reporters can contact Mahen Gunaratna or Ingrid Austin or visit choosenj.com/CanadaMission.