WCFH’s Substance Exposed Newborns Initiative (SENI) utilized technology to improve collection and reporting of screenings for substance use during pregnancy. SENI helped connect facilities using the same Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to incorporate the 4Ps Plus screening tool into the EHR. Electronic data submission was piloted to reduce reliance on paper submissions.
Children
WCFH participated in “Aligning Early Childhood and Medicaid,” a national initiative facilitated by the Center for Health Care Strategies. This involved partnering with other state agencies including Medicaid, the Office of Children’s Services, the Division of Behavioral Health, and the Commissioner’s Office. The multidisciplinary team participated in a journey mapping exercise with regional medical providers and a community-based organization to map a pregnancy impacted by substance use from entry to care through accessing home visiting services. This effort was highlighted in the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast series.
Adolescents
A school nurse mentorship program and a rural school nurse Community of Practice were developed and implemented with 12 mentor/mentee pairs. Participants reported invaluable support, increased knowledge, and new peer connections. School nursing with adolescents, particularly in rural Alaska, can be isolating and autonomous, with vicarious trauma exposure and high turnover. With the right support, however, it can be uniquely meaningful and rewarding.
Women
Senate Bill 58, passed in the legislature and signed by the Governor, will extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months. The Section wrote the initial white paper on why Alaska should do this extension and utilized data from MCDR and PRAMs. This included partnership with Medicaid and the Commissioner’s Office, and WCFH was able to obtain letters of support from multiple organizations to support this Governor’s bill. This is an important achievement for health care access and equity for families.
Cross-Cutting
The MCH Epidemiology Unit highlighted health equity considerations in numerous presentations and publications. The ALCANLink program released two publications: a peer-review journal article titled Pre-Birth Household Challenges Predict Future Child’s School Readiness and Academic Achievement, and a white paper on Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma Trends in Alaska (2005 – 2019). The former article utilized a novel approach of linking PRAMS data with administrative and education records.