The Louisiana Department of Health has launched Project M.O.M. — abbreviated for “Maternal Overdose Mortality” — with 11 inaugural catalyst site hospitals.
The project aims to reduce maternal mortality rates associated with substance use by 80% within three years through policy, partnership, peer support and practice transformation. Accidental overdose has been the leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in the state since 2018, the department said.
The initiative seeks to close gaps between emergency care, prenatal services and substance use treatment by delivering person-centered care navigation within a statewide system of coordinated care for pregnant and postpartum women affected by substance use disorder. The project’s four goals are reducing stigma, improving access to treatment, increasing patient engagement and retention, and advancing collaboration.
The hospital sites include:
- Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women (Lake Charles, La.)
- Lakeview Hospital (Covington, La.)
- Lane Regional Medical Center (Zachary, La.)
- Ochsner American Legion Hospital (Jennings, La.)
- Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center (Lafayette, La.)
- Ochsner St. Anne Hospital (Raceland, La.)
- Opelousas General Health System (Opelousas, La.)
- Our Lady of the Angels Hospital (Bogalusa, La.)
- Rapides Regional Medical Center (Alexandria, La.)
- Touro Hospital (New Orleans)
- Woman’s Hospital (Baton Rouge, La.)
The hospitals have committed to aligning leadership to reduce stigma; implementing universal verbal screening for substance use; standardizing clinical pathways and training; coordinating initiation and continuation of medications for opioid use disorder; integrating distribution of and education on opioid antagonist naloxone into clinical workflows; and embedding hospital-based perinatal navigators.
