Woman’s Hospital and United Health Foundation Launch Program to Help Expectant Mothers with Opioid Use Disorder
September 11 2018 - 5:30PM
Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge and the United Health Foundation
today announced a three-year, $1.2 million grant to launch an
innovative program at Woman’s Hospital that will help address the
needs of pregnant women with opioid addiction and their affected
newborns.The new program, called “GRACE” (Guiding Recovery and
Creating Empowerment), will support expectant mothers by providing
comprehensive care-coordination services specific to their needs
during and after pregnancy. GRACE works with physicians, social
service agencies, hospitals, mental health agencies, the legal
system and other community partners to identify expectant mothers
affected by opioid misuse, and connects them to the appropriate
resources to aid in their care and recovery.GRACE aims to reduce
stigma and bias surrounding addiction and medication-assisted
treatment, provide education and training to hospital staff, and
decrease the number of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
admissions and length of NICU stay.Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards,
Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and Louisiana Department of
Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee joined Woman’s Hospital President
and CEO Teri Fontenot, and UnitedHealthcare Community & State
CEO and United Health Foundation board member Heather Cianfrocco to
announce the grant at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge.“Instead of
the steady stream of discouraging data that we are sadly accustomed
to hearing regarding opioids, today it is my honor and pleasure to
help shine a spotlight on possible solutions to opioid addiction,”
said Gov. Edwards. “I am hopeful that smart and patient-centered
treatment options like GRACE will help turn the tide on this
enormous problem that continues to plague our state and country. I
am proud to stand with Woman’s Hospital and the United Health
Foundation as this program is introduced, which I hope can serve as
a model for the rest of the country.” Once admitted into the GRACE
program, patients will participate in a comprehensive assessment to
evaluate their medical, mental health and psychosocial history.
Once completed, participants work with a care provider to develop a
care plan specific to their needs, followed by education on
medication-assisted treatment, what to expect in labor,
breastfeeding, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), safe sleep, safe
medication storage and more. As participants move through the
program, they will receive regular phone call follow-ups and may
receive community resource support for housing, food,
transportation, education, job training and more.“The GRACE program
helps mothers affected by opioid addiction by providing them with a
roadmap to recovery and having a healthy baby,” said Fontenot.
“Together, we are building a network to effectively manage care for
these patients, helping them receive health education and providing
support.”Louisiana has experienced a 46.5 percent increase in drug
deaths – from 12.9 percent to 18.9 percent per 100,000 people –
since 2007, according to the United Health Foundation’s America’s
Health Rankings. And the rate of pregnant women addicted to opioids
at the time of delivery has quadrupled over the past 15 years in 28
states across the country, according to a Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention study. Maternal addiction can lead to Low
Birth Weight infants though either premature labor or through
Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Opioid exposure in the womb
can have far more serious health effects for babies due to NAS,
which can cause a high rate of neurological injury, and death due
to the neurological impact of opioid withdrawal. “It is imperative
that we help expectant mothers struggling with opioid addiction get
the support they need during and after pregnancy for their health
and that of their baby,” said Cianfrocco. “We know this type of
service is much needed across the state, and we are eager to
support Woman’s Hospital’s ongoing efforts to help build a
healthier Louisiana – one person at a time.”In conjunction with the
event, UnitedHealthcare and Woman’s Hospital employee volunteers
assembled 200 infant starter gift bags, which will be given to new
moms entering the program. The bags include clothes and supplies
for newborns, and a resource guide for mothers.For more information
about the GRACE program, visit womans.org/GRACE.About the United
Health FoundationThrough collaboration with community partners,
grants and outreach efforts, the United Health Foundation works to
improve our health system, build a diverse and dynamic health
workforce and enhance the well-being of local communities. The
United Health Foundation was established by UnitedHealth Group
(NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation
dedicated to improving health and health care. To date, the United
Health Foundation has committed nearly $358 million to programs and
communities around the world. We invite you to learn more at
www.unitedhealthgroup.com/social-responsibility.htmlAbout Woman’s
HospitalWoman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is one of the
first specialty hospitals for women and infants. Since opening in
1968, it has welcomed more than 300,000 babies, making it one of
the largest delivery services in the country and the largest in
Louisiana. Additionally, Woman’s operates the largest neonatal
intensive care unit in the state and cares for infants who are
extremely premature, are critically ill or require surgical
intervention. The hospital is also recognized for its expertise in
mammography as well as breast and gynecologic cancer care. As a
private, nonprofit organization, all funds are reinvested into the
hospital to continue Woman’s mission to improve the health of women
and infants through the latest technology, a highly qualified staff
and critical community programs and services. For more information,
visit www.womans.org. ###
- Gov. John Bel Edwards addresses attendees at a grant
announcement from United Health Foundation at Woman's Hospital in
Baton Rouge, La.
- Broome and United Healthcare team members work on service
project
Dana Michell
Woman's Hospital
504-931-2386
dana.michell@womans.org
Jocelyn Parker
UnitedHealthcare
952-931-4265
jocelyn.parker@uhc.com
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