Sunday, November 24, 2024
11/24/2024
No state has been as profoundly affected by the substance abuse epidemic, especially the opioid crisis, as West Virginia (WV). For the last several years, the rate of overdose deaths in WV has been the highest in the country; in 2017 the rate of overdose deaths was 57.8 per 100,000 in the state, compared to the national rate of 21.7 per 100,000. (1) The impact of this epidemic is felt throughout the state. This crisis has not spared the state’s expectant mothers. West Virginia has the highest rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in the nation as a result of maternal substance use. The 2017 annual incidence rate of NAS was 51.3 per 1000 live births per year for all births in the state and 50.6 per 1000 live births per year for WV residents only. According to an analysis of 2010-2017 data, 34.3% of maternal deaths were the result of drug overdoses. Substance use disorder (SUD) in pregnant and parenting women disproportionately affects WV Bureau for Medical Services/Medicaid (BMS) population. In 2018, 23% of the WV BMS covered births were affected by maternal substance use (compared to 14% of all births) and 8.12% were diagnosed with NAS (compared to 4.89% of all births). In fact, a baby born to a mother with WV BMS coverage in WV is over 7 times more likely to have intrauterine substance exposure and more than 6.6 times more likely to have NAS. Substance use in pregnancy is not limited to opioids and other illicit drugs; smoking in pregnancy is also very prevalent in the state. About one quarter of pregnant women in WV smoke and like other substance use, this rate is disproportionately higher in the population with WV BMS coverage. In 2018, 73.9% of women who used a substance during pregnancy also smoked and 84.8% of women with WV BMS coverage who gave birth to a baby with NAS smoked. The funds from this grant will support coordinated care delivery for pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder (OUD) and their infants. This WV MOM model will reduce WV BMS and Children’ Health Insurance Program (CHIP) costs and improve the quality of care for this high-risk population. The proposed WV MOM project will build upon the success of West Virginia’s Drug Free Moms and Babies (DFMB) model and address current gaps in service and funding by extending care for one year postpartum, transitioning postpartum women to well-woman care, and fully integrating the model into WV’s maternity care system. Making DFMB a statewide routine component of care - instead of a separate voluntary service- will expand the accessibility of treatment and normalize services. Mother-baby dyads will receive ongoing comprehensive care, including care coordination services and a specialized community health worker. A three-year evaluation of four DFMB pilot sites showed that among women participating in the program and testing positive for illicit substances prenatally, most tested negative for illicit drugs at delivery. The range was 74% to 95% tested negative for illicit drugs at delivery. A total of 429 women participated during those three-year pilot study. The proposed model will be available to women receiving care through sixteen of the twenty-five delivery facilities. These sixteen facilities deliver 80% of all babies born in the state and serve women from all 55 counties. However, the proposed model will be available to all WV pregnant women who want to receive services.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
