Louisiana hospitals launch program to support pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders
Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women, Lakeview Hospital, Lane Regional Medical Center, Ochsner American Legion Hospital, Ochsner Lafayette Medical Center, Ochsner St. Anne Hospital, Opelousas General Hospital System, Our Lady of the Angels Hospital, Rapides Regional Medical Center, Touro Hospital, Woman’s Hospital
Louisiana
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has launched its inaugural group of 11 Project M.O.M. catalyst site hospitals, marking a major step forward in addressing maternal overdose mortality across the state. Designed to close critical gaps between emergency care, prenatal support and ongoing substance use treatment, Project M.O.M. aims to ensure pregnant and postpartum women affected by substance use disorders receive coordinated, compassionate and comprehensive care. “Every new life is a reason for hope, which makes the reality that accidental overdose has been the leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in Louisiana since 2018 all the more sobering. This isn’t just a statistic. It’s a double tragedy,” said LDH Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein.
The project will have the catalyst hospitals implementing universal verbal screening, standardized clinical pathways and expanded behavioral health supports to improve pregnancy outcomes for families affected by substance use. The aim is emphasizing the importance of reducing stigma and treating substance use disorders as medical conditions, said LDH Deputy Secretary Pete Croughan, M.D. “SUD is a chronic, treatable medical condition that has dangerous impacts on pregnant women and their infants. It is not a moral failing.”