Marty McCaffrey, MD, CAPT USN (Ret) UNC School of Medicine Background • Maternal substance use disorder and infant drug withdrawal or neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) are at epidemic proportions in North Carolina and play an increasingly significant role in maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. • NAS rates have risen approximately 300% in North Carolina over the last 5 years. NAS management demonstrates dramatic variations in care leading to extended hospital stays with significant social, medical and fiscal impacts. The transition to home for these mothers and their infants is also a very vulnerable period which requires significant support. Aim • Create a model of support for the care of mothers with substance abuse disorder and their infants that includes the antepartum period, delivery, birth hospitalization of mother and baby, but extends beyond discharge for six months. • Pair a small hospital and its referral center in a regional area. • Focus on building a system of support for optimal health outcomes in situations of maternal substance use via best practices, peer support, and regular contact with maternal child social workers specifically trained in trauma cognitive behavioral therapy. • Improve compliance of mothers with substance use disorders with rehabilitation, reduce custody actions by CPS, improve compliance with well child checks and immunizations, reduce hospital readmissions, and reduce length of stay for infants with NAS. • This proposal could be piloted in two regions initially with a plan to spread (based on funding, support, collaboration) in 1or 2 subsequent phases. Reach • The pilot would serve four hospitals in two perinatal regions in the state initially. • These facilities could be identified based on need (severity of the substance use epidemic) and hospital willingness to participate. • The model developed will be one that can be deployed statewide. Proposed Methods • Include all key elements of the AIM Bundle for Maternal Opioid Use…and more…of course. • PQCNC develops a web based data warehouse to support submission of hospital data related to key metrics that will include maternal and pediatric measures. • PQCNC partners with Horizons Program staff, CC4C, DMA, DPH and other state agencies engaged in providing support to mothers and babies in the selected regions. These meetings will identify resources currently available for families and seek opportunities to augment services which may exist. • Specific metrics and targets might include maternal compliance with rehabilitation, maternal stress levels, completing well child visits, readmissions to the hospital, CPS custodial actions and LOS for the initial NAS hospitalization. • Partner with CC4C to analyze baseline data in the identified regions for a number of pediatric related metrics. We will partner with other identified agencies (DMA, BCBSNC, DPH, State Center for Health Statistics and others) to collect baseline data related to maternal substance abuse. Proposed Methods • Identify and hire a maternal substance use disorder peer support counselor (1.0 FTE) and a licensed maternal child social worker trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (1.0 FTE) for each region. • A total of 4 personnel will be hired to support the care in these 2 regions. These individuals will initiate contact with mother before hospitalization, or both mom and baby during the birth hospitalization. • They will continue this support with every other week peer support visits and monthly social worker visits. • A psychologist with certification in training for trauma cognitive behavioral therapy training for the licensed maternal child social workers will be contracted as a 0.2 FTE. The supervisor will be available to train and provide support to peer support and social work staff in the two regions. Impact • Improve maternal adherence to rehab plans • Improve the bonding experience in the hospital • Improve breastfeeding rates • Reduce need for pharmacologic therapy in infants • Reduce hospital LOS for baby after birth • Improve compliance with rehab post delivery • Improve pediatric well child care compliance • Reduce infant readmission rates • Reduce CPS actions with families Supporting Materials • PQCNC has experience with its prior NAS initiative • AIM Bundle for women with opioid use disorder https://safehealthcareforeverywoman.org/pat ient-safety-bundles/obstetric-care-for-women- with-opioid-use-disorder/