Erlanger Health System has positively impacted the health care and health outcomes of pregnant women and their newborns affected by Opioid Use Disorder, the hospital reports.
In the spring of 2019, Erlanger and several hospitals around the state partnered with the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care to implement the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health Program’s Obstetric Care for Women with Opioid Use Disorder Maternal Safety Bundle.
At the same time, Erlanger joined in another initiative with TIPQC to improve the identification and care of opioid exposed newborns. These programs helped to provide better education, care and treatment paths for both the mother and newborn.
As a result of these programs, the percentage of pregnant women with OUD who were receiving medication assisted treatment at her newborn’s discharge rose by 60%.
During this same time, approximately 75% of opioid exposed newborns were able to room-in with their biological mother during their entire hospital stay.
These best practices and quality improvement processes also helped to reduce length of stay for opioid exposed newborns.
“Having seen the devastation and impact of opioids on women and newborns in our community, we wanted to do whatever we could to help these special patients through a difficult illness,” says Traci Josephsen, associate chief nursing officer for Women’s and Children’s at Erlanger Health System.
Pregnant women who are interested in learning more can call 423 680-8192 to speak with a case manager at Erlanger East.
Source: Erlanger