The Louisiana Department of Health is officially launching Project M.O.M. (Maternal Overdose Mortality) with the announcement of the project’s director, website, and patient journey map designed to introduce participating hospitals, providers, and other stakeholders to this initiative. Project M.O.M. aims to reverse the current crisis of accidental opioid overdose as the primary cause of maternal mortality in Louisiana.
“Accidental opioid overdose has been the leading cause of pregnancy-associated death in Louisiana since 2018, and this is a statewide effort to reverse that terrible trend,” said Deputy Secretary Pete Croughan, MD . “Every preventable death is a tragedy, but the death of a pregnant woman or young mom doubles the tragedy, as the loss of the mother endangers her child.”
One of three new key initiatives announced April 21 by new Secretary of Health Bruce D. Greenstein, Project M.O.M. aims to reduce pregnancy-associated opioid overdose deaths by 80% within the next three years, while protecting infants from loss or foster care placement.
Carrie Templeton, who joined LDH in October, will lead the program. She previously held executive roles at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, Lafayette General Surgical Hospital, Iberia Medical Center, and Lafayette General Health.
“This project is getting out of the gate and gaining momentum very quickly,” said Greenstein. “The hospitals and providers we’ve been talking to are excited about becoming part of this ambitious and necessary initiative. Carrie’s leadership in women and children’s health, together with her passion for improving care coordination, make her a great fit to lead Project M.O.M. She has the skill set and capabilities needed to bring together many existing efforts and align them in a way that improves access to care.”
Over the next 90 days, Templeton will convene hospital and community partners to develop an implementation plan, including data collection and performance tracking. Over the next six months, the group will align managed care and healthcare partners to improve access to care and coordination of treatment.