RALEIGH, N.C. — Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., a CVS Health company, announced that financial support for a first-of-its-kind statewide collaboration to address maternal mortality has expanded through an additional grant from Aetna.
The recently formed North Carolina Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Network (NC PSUD Network), originally funded last year through an initial grant from Aetna, works to improve PSUD treatment and access to care. The network had five inaugural members and quickly added a sixth. The member programs increase access to one-stop, integrated treatment for PSUD through a hub-and-spoke model, a system that links local providers with specialized centers as hubs. Through this model, the network will expand access to high quality PSUD care in underserved areas across North Carolina.
Each program has specific strengths, and the NC PSUD Network helps them identify and share best practices. The grant from Aetna helps support a full-time staff position and other necessary organizing expenses to facilitate the partnership’s work.
This year, Aetna is bolstering its support of the NC PSUD Network by funding sessions to help providers share notes and treatment strategies. The sessions will feature presentations on best practices, as well as discussions on case-specific approaches to clinical challenges. The Project ECHO Network in North Carolina — part of a virtual telemonitoring program founded by Dr. Sanjeev Arora at the University of New Mexico — will develop and implement the sessions, enabling statewide deployment of accepted but underutilized best practices. The Governor’s Institute, a Raleigh-based nonprofit organization, is managing the project and provides administrative, fiduciary and training support.
“This is not a seed anymore — it’s a tree that’s continuing to grow with the success we saw last year in bringing together some of the top health organizations in North Carolina to better treat perinatal substance use disorder,” said Dr. Michelle Bucknor, Regional Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Better Health. “By expanding our support, brilliant minds from around the state can learn from one another about how to best address this critical health need.”
The network’s partners are:
- UNC Horizons at UNC-Chapel Hill, a comprehensive treatment program offering both residential and outpatient care for pregnant and parenting individuals with substance use disorders. Services include perinatal and postpartum medical care, pediatric health services, child therapy, psychiatry, individual and group therapy, peer support services and case management. The program also provides access to medications for opioid and alcohol use disorders, recovery support and an on-site licensed childcare center. This program serves families in the Central region of North Carolina.
- Project CARA at MAHEC in Asheville, an outpatient program that provides perinatal and postpartum care with integrated recovery services, behavioral health, care management and comprehensive medical services, including access to treatment medications. They operate a hub-and-spoke model of care that includes seven spoke sites to support and expand access to care across rural parts of Western North Carolina.
- The SUN Project, a cross-sector collaboration between the SUDA Institute, Cabarrus Health Alliance, and other providers and partners in Cabarrus, Stanly and Rowan Counties. The SUN Project focuses on holistic care through their multi-system information sharing treatment and care coordination team. The SUN Clinic offers prenatal care, dental services, integrated behavioral health care, medication for opioid use disorder, recovery support, case management and educational services. These services are provided in collaboration with partners throughout the Piedmont region of the state.
- Tides, Inc. in Wilmington, which provides wrap-around care by addressing barriers to treatment. In-house services include a residential housing program where women and their children can live together during recovery and receive access to transportation, life-skill training and extensive care management. The program provides a continuum of care in southeast North Carolina through collaborations with community perinatal teams and substance use teams.
- Project IMPACT at ECU, which hired its first physician, dual-boarded in OBGYN and Addiction Medicine, to develop integrated perinatal substance use disorder services to medically underserved areas of Eastern North Carolina.
- REACH Maternity Clinic at Cone Health MedCenter for Women in Greensboro, a family-centered outpatient clinic centered on women with substance abuse disorder. Services can begin at pregnancy and last for a year after childbirth.
“North Carolina is home to incredible organizations that provide compassionate, comprehensive treatment for perinatal substance use disorders,” said Mel Ramage, director of the North Carolina PSUD Network. “By working together and learning from one another, these programs are helping families have access to care they deserve. As we continue to grow, we are actively recruiting new programs to join the network and expand access to evidence-based, respectful care statewide.”
