Honoring Lisa Gittens-Williams at Toast & Tribute
University Hospital Foundation is pleased to honor Dr. Lisa Gittens-Williams at Toast & Tribute in recognition of her leadership in expanding healthcare access and reducing maternal health disparities in our communities. Dr. Gittens-Williams is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where she serves as the Director of both Obstetrics and Quality and Safety.
Dr. Gittens-Williams’ community-driven approach has helped address the maternal mortality rate in the Greater Newark area, which is more than double the overall state average. Her work prioritizes collaboration, patient safety, novel programming, and the well-being of the greater Newark community, which faces substantial racial, ethnic, and economic disparities in maternal health outcomes. Significant contributing factors include lack of access to quality preconception, prenatal, and postpartum care coupled with pervasive, negative social determinants of health.
At University Hospital, Dr. Gittens-Williams has championed initiatives like the CDC’s “Hear Her Campaign”, Maternal Health Awareness Day, and other national maternal safety initiatives focused on reducing disparities and the 53% of mortalities that occur in the post-partum period. Through collaboration with University Hospital Foundation, Dr. Gittens-Williams has helped to secure over $3,000,000 in grant funding in the last three years alone. This funding has helped to increase the number of healthcare providers within the OB/GYN department, not only improving patient care but substantially reducing wait times for appointments—from 45 days to just 4 days.
Outside of University Hospital, Dr. Gittens-Williams serves as Legislative Chair and immediate past Chair of the NJ Section of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology; in these roles, she has directed collaborative maternal health initiatives with a focus on patient safety. She also serves on multiple boards for organizations in Newark, across the state, and nationally, directing best practices and quality initiatives.
Please join us in celebrating Dr. Gittens-Williams’ outstanding leadership, innovation and dedication to maternal health and health equity at this year’s Toast & Tribute on April 16th. Find tickets and more information here.