Dignity Health | St. Rose Dominican | Reach | Fall 2019

8 StRoseHospitals.org Pregnant? Need help? If you or someone you know is pregnant and dealing with a substance abuse problem, contact the EMPOWERED program at 702.492.8593 to speak with someone about getting help. EMPOWERED provides community resources, education, and connections to treatment or recovery services for pregnant and postpartum women taking opioids for any reason. You may qualify if: ●  ● You are pregnant and are taking opioids ●  ● You would like help finding community resources EMPOWERED also provides breastfeeding support, parenting classes, support groups, and more. Andria Peterson, PharmD Deepa Nagar, MD Heroes to moms and babies Freedom from opioid addiction leads to new, happier beginnings You are not alone. That has been the takeaway for both patients and practitioners in the EMPOWERED (EmpoweringMothers for Positive Outcomes with Education, Recovery, and EarlyDevelopment) program, whose success has earned it grant funding for a second year. EMPOWERED helps mothers whose infants may have neonatal abstinence syndrome as a result of opioid use during pregnancy. Babies born dependent can spend weeks or months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). NICU heroes The programwas developed at the DignityHealth–St. RoseDominican Siena Campus byNeonatologist and NICUDirector Deepa Nagar, MD, and NICU Clinical Pharmacist Andria Peterson, PharmD. Their work with EMPOWEREDwas recently recognized with two awards, the 2019 Healthcare Heroes “Innovator” Award from Nevada Business Magazine and the Nevada Hospital Association’s 2019 “Imagination” Award. Whenmothers come to us, we tell them they have a baby to think of now, Dr. Nagar says. But they are not alone because they have peoplewho will help—family, friends, and doctors. “We focus on the child and allow that to be their motivation,” she says. EMPOWERED connects women with caring doctors and helpsmake sure they get referred to local resources and programs. Many mothers struggling with substance abuse are often afraid to seek help because they fear someone will call the police or child protective services and they will lose custody of their children. EMPOWERED provides the answers and resources they need. “Pregnant moms are ready for change,” Dr. Peterson says. “Evenmothers with substance abuse problems. Doctors refer patients to us, but themajority of our calls come from the mothers themselves.” Since the start of the program in 2018, EMPOWEREDhas assisted nearly 100mothers and their babies. It reduced or eliminated the need for prolonged stays in the NICU and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars inmedical care expenses. Dr. Nagar says sympathy and compassion are key to the success of EMPOWERED. “Thesemothers need someone to be there for them as they face these challenges,” she says. “We provide that for them.”