The Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel findings for 2014 through 2016 showed that over a third of pregnancy-related deaths were due to mental health conditions, including suicide and overdose. In April 2022, the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), in partnership with the Department of Health, began implementation of the AIM Opioid Use Disorder Patient Safety Bundle with 47 of the state’s 56 birthing facilities. From April to December of 2022, the percentage of facilities that had a unit standard policy and procedure to universally screen every person giving birth for substance use disorder using a validated verbal screening tool increased from 30% to 50%. WSHA and the Department of Health continue to support participating hospitals by focusing efforts on capturing current data to further evaluate progress within this initiative.
