11.18.24
SSM Health WISH Center Honored With Aim For Excellence Award
Expert
Dave Dillon
Actions
Type
Topic
- Membership
Tags
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — SSM Health’s Women and Infant Substance Help Center, or WISH Center, at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital — St. Louis has been honored with the Missouri Hospital Association’s Aim for Excellence Award. Established in 2016, the Aim for Excellence Award recognizes hospital innovation that improves patient outcomes. The WISH Center received the award on Nov. 14 at MHA’s 102nd Annual Convention in Kansas City, Mo.
SSM Health’s WISH Center provides comprehensive, high-risk maternity care for pregnant individuals affected by substance use disorders. Between 2014 and 2023, the center served more than 3,000 women.
“Improving maternal health outcomes can be challenging for individuals with substance use disorders,” said Jon D. Doolittle, MHA President and CEO. “Through the WISH Center, expecting mothers are navigated through substance use harm mitigation services, as well as provided wrap-around clinical and social services to improve outcomes for the mother and child.”
Using medication-assisted therapy as part of a broad risk-based approach to care, the WISH Center meets patients where they are — providing them with connections to outside organizations for job skills, housing, life skills, parenting skills and more.
Engagement is end-to-end, with social and clinical services during pregnancy and birthing services through the hospital. In addition, the WISH Center provides patients with an AfterCare program for two years after childbirth to continue essential support.
“Our patients receive a comprehensive and holistic experience that prioritizes their needs in a non-judgmental environment,” said Niraj Chavan, M.D., medical director of the WISH Center at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis. “Mothers impacted by substance use and perinatal addiction often encounter numerous challenges, and we focus on addressing their overall well-being. This includes tackling unmet needs such as barriers to care, food and housing insecurity, psychosocial support, and the lack of family support. Our multilayered approach connects patients with the appropriate medical team members and support services, enhancing their chances of success.”
The program minimizes pregnancy-related complications and reduces the length of hospital stays for newborns. During that time, the average neonatal intensive care unit admission for children of WISH Center pregnancies dropped from 17.4 days to 6.9 days
A video honoring SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis is available here.
Photo caption: Jackie Seabaugh, Lead Nurse (left) and Niraj Chavan, M.D., Medical Director (center) of WISH Center at of SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in St. Louis, is presented the MHA Aim for Excellence Award by Alan W. Greimann, MHA Board Chair, President/CEO of Royal Oaks Hospital and Executive Vice President of Compass Health Network in Windsor, Mo., (right).
###
The Missouri Hospital Association is a not-for-profit association in Jefferson City that represents 137 Missouri hospitals. In addition to representation and advocacy on behalf of its membership, the association offers continuing education programs on current health care topics and seeks to educate the public about health care issues.