BOSTON, MA - In an attempt to rectify "significant racial and ethnic inequities" linked with substance abuse disorder, Mass General Brigham, a leading hospital network in Massachusetts, has made sweeping changes to its policies concerning babies born addicted to drugs.
These alterations come as the hospital network recognizes that automatically reporting infants born with drug addiction disproportionately impacts black individuals, potentially jeopardizing the well-being of both the mother and child.
As of Tuesday, Mass General Brigham, which encompasses several prominent hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and Salem Hospital, will cease the automatic reporting of infants born with drug addiction.
While Massachusetts law currently mandates the mandatory reporting of all infants showing "physical dependence upon an addictive drug at birth," Mass General Brigham's new approach shifts the focus towards a more nuanced assessment.
Instead of automatic reporting, hospitals will now encourage reporting to child protective services only when the babies are "suffering or at imminent risk of suffering physical or emotional injury."
This policy change raises significant concerns. By discontinuing the automatic reporting of drug-addicted newborns, the system may miss crucial opportunities to intervene and provide essential support and assistance to mothers and their babies.
It effectively means that the "system" will no longer be alerted to potential risks faced by these vulnerable infants and their mothers, potentially leaving them without the necessary assistance and support they desperately need.
In addition to revising its reporting practices, Mass General Brigham has also updated its toxicology testing protocols. Medical professionals will now conduct toxicology tests on newborns and/or "pregnant people" — sometimes referred to as women — under specific conditions.
First and foremost, written consent must be obtained before conducting these tests. Secondly, tests will only proceed if the results stand to influence the medical treatment the mother and/or child will receive.
These policy adjustments are integral components of Mass General Brigham's broader "United Against Racism effort."
This initiative aims to scrutinize and rectify policies that might inadvertently perpetuate structural racism within the healthcare system.
Sarah Wakeman, M.D., senior medical director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham, emphasized, "Our new perinatal testing and reporting policy signifies a crucial step in our ongoing efforts to address longstanding inequities in substance use disorder care. It is paramount that we provide compassionate, evidence-based support to families, recognizing substance use disorder as a treatable health condition."
Wakeman further highlighted the potential adverse effects of the previous reporting policies on women seeking treatment for addiction, expressing concerns that some might refrain from seeking treatment out of fear of losing custody of their children post-birth due to the automatic reporting system.
Mass General Brigham's revised approach aligns with similar initiatives from other reputable medical organizations.
Allison Bryant, M.D., MPH, associate chief health equity officer at Mass General Brigham, emphasized her belief in the importance of this policy shift, stating, "This change allows us within the medical industry to introspect, understand our own contributions to stigma and inequity, and actively work towards their elimination."
While Mass General Brigham's policy changes allegedly aim to address racial and ethnic disparities associated with substance abuse disorder, they also raise crucial questions about the potential consequences of discontinuing automatic reporting.
Without the automatic alerts, there is a risk that many vulnerable mothers and their babies might not receive the essential support and assistance they urgently require, potentially exacerbating existing inequities and challenges faced by these families.
These alterations come as the hospital network recognizes that automatically reporting infants born with drug addiction disproportionately impacts black individuals, potentially jeopardizing the well-being of both the mother and child.
As of Tuesday, Mass General Brigham, which encompasses several prominent hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, and Salem Hospital, will cease the automatic reporting of infants born with drug addiction.
While Massachusetts law currently mandates the mandatory reporting of all infants showing "physical dependence upon an addictive drug at birth," Mass General Brigham's new approach shifts the focus towards a more nuanced assessment.
Instead of automatic reporting, hospitals will now encourage reporting to child protective services only when the babies are "suffering or at imminent risk of suffering physical or emotional injury."
This policy change raises significant concerns. By discontinuing the automatic reporting of drug-addicted newborns, the system may miss crucial opportunities to intervene and provide essential support and assistance to mothers and their babies.
It effectively means that the "system" will no longer be alerted to potential risks faced by these vulnerable infants and their mothers, potentially leaving them without the necessary assistance and support they desperately need.
In addition to revising its reporting practices, Mass General Brigham has also updated its toxicology testing protocols. Medical professionals will now conduct toxicology tests on newborns and/or "pregnant people" — sometimes referred to as women — under specific conditions.
First and foremost, written consent must be obtained before conducting these tests. Secondly, tests will only proceed if the results stand to influence the medical treatment the mother and/or child will receive.
These policy adjustments are integral components of Mass General Brigham's broader "United Against Racism effort."
This initiative aims to scrutinize and rectify policies that might inadvertently perpetuate structural racism within the healthcare system.
Sarah Wakeman, M.D., senior medical director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham, emphasized, "Our new perinatal testing and reporting policy signifies a crucial step in our ongoing efforts to address longstanding inequities in substance use disorder care. It is paramount that we provide compassionate, evidence-based support to families, recognizing substance use disorder as a treatable health condition."
Wakeman further highlighted the potential adverse effects of the previous reporting policies on women seeking treatment for addiction, expressing concerns that some might refrain from seeking treatment out of fear of losing custody of their children post-birth due to the automatic reporting system.
Mass General Brigham's revised approach aligns with similar initiatives from other reputable medical organizations.
Allison Bryant, M.D., MPH, associate chief health equity officer at Mass General Brigham, emphasized her belief in the importance of this policy shift, stating, "This change allows us within the medical industry to introspect, understand our own contributions to stigma and inequity, and actively work towards their elimination."
While Mass General Brigham's policy changes allegedly aim to address racial and ethnic disparities associated with substance abuse disorder, they also raise crucial questions about the potential consequences of discontinuing automatic reporting.
Without the automatic alerts, there is a risk that many vulnerable mothers and their babies might not receive the essential support and assistance they urgently require, potentially exacerbating existing inequities and challenges faced by these families.
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Comments
2024-04-10T18:58-0400 | Comment by: Clifford
Why does it matter what the race of the mother is, if the baby has drugs in system???
2024-04-10T19:14-0400 | Comment by: Wayne
So to to address racial and ethnic disparities, more black babies will suffer and perhaps die needlessly. What morons!
2024-04-11T06:07-0400 | Comment by: Tim
DEI strikes again. Any school, corporation, government, etc., that adopts DEI and brags on their 'wokeness' will negatively affect their students, employees, and policies.
2024-04-11T19:24-0400 | Comment by: Lynn
So effectively, the Massachusetts medical system is claiming non-Caucasian mothers are more likely to be on drugs, but to point that out is racist? To he(( with the children and addicted mothers - "equity" it the goal. At this rate, the corrupt Massachusetts medical system might try to hook more Caucasian mothers on drugs, you know, just to make things more equitable.
2024-04-11T19:24-0400 | Comment by: Lynn
So effectively, the Massachusetts medical system is claiming non-Caucasian mothers are more likely to be on drugs, but to point that out is racist? To he(( with the children and addicted mothers - "equity" it the goal. At this rate, the corrupt Massachusetts medical system might try to hook more Caucasian mothers on drugs, you know, just to make things more equitable.