WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Aetna Better Health of NC has announced a grant to create a collaborative partnership to address maternal mortality.

The NC Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Network (NC PSUD) will be aimed at sharing best practices, enhancing cooperation and advocating for policy solutions, along with inventorying and analyzing medical care strategies across the state. The goal is to improve availability of healthcare and expand best practices.

“We’re bringing together some of the top health organizations in North Carolina in a concerted effort to better treat perinatal substance use disorder,” said Jerold Mammano, division president, Aetna Medicaid, and a North Carolina resident. “Treating perinatal substance use disorders is important, and brilliant minds from around the state are working to make an impact.”

The inaugural partners of the network are:

• UNC Horizons at UNC-Chapel Hill, a residential care program that lets children stay with their mothers during treatment. It features residential and outpatient recovery services, a childcare center, access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), behavioral health and perinatal medical care through postpartum.
• Project Cara at MAHEC in Asheville has an outpatient program including recovery support services, behavioral health, access to MOUD and perinatal care through postpartum. They have eight spoke sites to expand access in rural sections of western North Carolina.
• The SUN program as part of the SUDA Institute in Cabarrus County aims on holistic care through a information sharing team. It provides prenatal medical care, dental services, integrated behavioral health services, access to MOUD and recovery and education services in the Piedmont region.
• The Tides Program in Wilmington provides wrap-around care aimed at breaking down barriers to treatment. It has a residential housing program where women and children can live during recovery and get access to transportation, life skill training and extensive care management. It also collaborates with community perinatal and substance use teams to provide a continuum of care throughout southeastern NC.
• ECU IMPACT at ECU has hired its first physician, dual-boarded in OBGYN and addiction medicine to develop integrated perinatal substance use disorder services to underserved areas in eastern NC.

“Addressing the stigma that surrounds perinatal substance use disorders is key because it is a significant barrier to people coming to care,” said Mel Ramage, director of the North Carolina PSUD Network. “By uniting medical teams who are on the front lines of delivering evidence-based treatment across our state we can make meaningful strides in overcoming this challenge. Our commitment must be unwavering — pregnant and postpartum individuals deserve nothing less than our very best efforts to ensure they receive compassionate, comprehensive care.”

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