Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires licensed health care professionals providing prenatal care to offer and screen, upon request, pregnant patients with history of depression for postpartum depression.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning postpartum depression and amending P.L. 2000, c.167.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2000, c.167 (C.26:2-176) is amended to read as follows:
2. The Commissioner of Health, in conjunction with the State Board of Medical Examiners and the New Jersey Board of Nursing, shall work with health care facilities and licensed health care professionals in the State to develop policies and procedures to achieve the following requirements concerning postpartum depression:
a. Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals providing prenatal care to women shall provide education to women and their families about postpartum depression in order to lower the likelihood that new mothers will continue to suffer from this illness in silence;
b. All birthing facilities in the State shall provide departing new mothers and fathers and other family members, as appropriate, with complete information about postpartum depression, including its symptoms, methods of coping with the illness, and treatment resources;
c. Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals providing postnatal care to women shall screen new mothers for postpartum depression symptoms prior to discharge from the birthing facility and at the first few postnatal check-up visits; [and]
d. Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals providing prenatal and postnatal care to women shall include fathers and other family members, as appropriate, in both the education and treatment processes to help them better understand the nature and causes of postpartum depression so that they too can overcome the spillover effects of the illness and improve their ability to be supportive of the new mother; and
e. Physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals providing prenatal care to women shall offer, and provide upon the request, pregnant patients with a history of depression a prenatal screening for postpartum depression.
(cf: P.L.2012, c.17, s.130)
2. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill expands an existing law that directs the Commissioner of Health, in conjunction with the State Board of Medical Examiners and the New Jersey Board of Nursing, to address the issue of postpartum depression by working with health care facilities and licensed health care professionals in the State to develop certain policies and procedures. This bill adds an additional provision to the law mandating the development of a policy that would require physicians, nurse midwives, and other licensed health care professionals providing prenatal care to women to offer, and provide upon the request, pregnant patients with a history of depression a prenatal screening for postpartum depression. Current policies under the law include patient and family education regarding postpartum depression and postnatal screenings for postpartum depression for all applicable patients.