PALATKA – SMA Healthcare is pleased to announce that it was awarded a $500,000 grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS).
The target population for Putnam Communities Opioid Response Program Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (PCORP-NAS) is women of child-bearing age, pregnant, and post-partum women who reside within Putnam County. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is a condition that may occur in a newborn whose mother was using opioids or other addictive drugs during pregnancy.
Statewide data demonstrate Putnam County has one of the highest rates of NAS – 27.4 cases per 10,000 live births, over five times the average Florida county rate. From 2019-2020 Putnam’s NAS case rate increased by 85%.
“This grant will help us provide services to a population in our communities that desperately need them,” said Nancy Russo, vice president of Putnam and St. Johns County services. “NAS has become a big issue in our community and this grant will allow us to treat it effectively.”
The grant funds will allow SMA Healthcare to hire appropriate staff to deliver necessary services, allow SMA to partner with other agencies to ensure families receive treatment, and expand Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), Primary Care, and OB-GYN services – among others.