Banner Health tackling opioid crisis by helping unborn babies

A new program at Banner Medical Center is doing something to help new moms struggling with addiction.

FACE..THATS MAVERICK DOW.HE'S KELLIE DOW'S THIRD CHILD.KELLIE SAYS SHE WAS DETOXINGFROM OXICOTONE WHEN SHE FOUNDOUT SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH HIM.I WAS TERRIFIED BECAUSE I'VEHEARD STORIES OF BABIES GOINGTHROUGH WITHDRAWAL AND I THOUGHTTO MYSELF WHAT DID I DO HERE.KELLIE SAYS SHE HAS BAD KNEES --WHICH LED TO THREE DIFFERENTSURGERIESINTRODUCING HER TO OPIOIDS.BUT IT'S WHEN SHE GOT TREATMENTTHAT SHE FOUND OUT SHE WASPREGNANT.AND GOING THROUGH WITHDRAWALSCAN LEAVE THE BABY WITH NEONATALABSTINENCE SYDROME.

IT IS WHEN ANEWBORN BABY GOES THROUGHSIMILAR SYMPTOMS -- LIKEUNCONTROLLABLE CRYING, VOMITINGAND TROUBLE SLEEPING.THE OPIOID EPODMIC IS EVERYWHEREAND WE WANTED TO KNOW HOW CAN WEMAKE A DIFFERENCE.

JOY SUDRINHELPS RUN THE MOMS CLINIC ATBANNER UNIVERSITY MEDICINE.MOMS IS FOR SOON-TO-BE MOTHERS-- LIKE KELLIE -- GET HELP INEASING THEIR BABIES' WITHDRAWALSYMPTOMS FROM OPIOID EXPOSURE.FROM THE MEDICIAL MODEL AND THESOCIAL WORK MODEL WE NEEDED TOCOLLABORATE OUR TEAMS AND REALLYSTART TO CREATE A CLINICALPATHWAY THAT MADE IT EASIER FORPATIENTS TO GET CARE.EVERY WOMAN I KNOW IS SCAREDWHEN THEY FIND OUT THEREPREGNANT.

YOUR WHOLE LIFECHANGES.

HEATHER MILLER IS ONEOF THE DOCTORS WHO HELPS TAKECARE OF THE MOTHERS DURINGPREGNANCY.

SHE SAYS PROVIDINGTHE MOTHERS WITH A SAFEENVIRONMENT IS ONE OF THE KEYSSTEP IN THE TREATMENT..WE LOVE SEEING FAMILIES STAYTOGETHER AND WE LOVE SEEING MOMSFIND THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY ANDTHAT STRENGTH WITHIN THEMSELVES.ONCE THE MOTHER IS READY TO GIVEBIRTH THEY WILL HAVE A WHOLETEAM WITH THEM THROUGH THEPROCESS.THEY'RE THERE TO HELP YOU.THEY'RE NOT THERE TO JUDGE,THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT YOU ANYDIFFERENTLY, THEY ARE ABSOLUTELYTHERE TO HELP AND ALL YOU HAVETO DO IS ASK.

IN A TYPICALSITUATION -- THE NEWBORN WILLSTAY IN THE HOSPITAL FOR SIXWEEKS WITH NO SPECIALIZEDWITHDRAWAL CARE.

BUT THISPROGRAM HAS NEWBORNS STAYING INTHE NEONATAL I-C-U FOR ONLY FIVETO SEVEN DAYS.INSTEAD OF GIVING MEDICIATION,IN PARTICULAR OPIODS TO THESEBABIES WE TRY TO HAVE THEPARENTS, IN PARTICULAR THEMOTHER AS THE TREATMENT.I WAS ABLE TO BE THERE THE WHOLETIME, SO I KNEW HE HAD ME WHICHWAS COMFORTING TO HIM KNOWINGHIS MOTHER WAS THERE BUT I ALSOHAD HELP FROM OTHER PEOPLE THATKNEW HOW TO HANDLE THESITUATION.

THE END RESULT -- AHAPPY AND HEALTHY MOM AND BABY.IT'S A SCARY THING AT FIRST, YOUDON'T KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME ISGOING TO BE BUT WHEN YOU LOOK ATHIM AND SEE HOW HAPPY HE IS,HE'S GOOD TO GO.GOOD TO GO.IF YOU'RE A MOTHER TO BE -- ANDTHIS PROGRAM SOUNDS LIKESOMETHING YOU MAY NEED...ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MAKE ONEPHONE CALL TO JOY TO GET HELP.THE NUMBER TO CALL IS ON OURWEBSITE KGUN9.COM.

REPORTINGLIVE IN THE NEWSROOM -- VV --KGUN9 OYS.VV -- KGUN9 OYS.A STATE BILL PROPOSED IN THELEGISLATURE IS ALSO TAKING ONTHE OPIOID CRISIS.IF PASSED...IT WOULD MEAN AMANDATORY FIVE-YEAR MINIMUMSENTENCE FOR PEOPLE WHO SELL ANYAMOUNT OF FENTANYL OR