MESA, Ariz. — Time is running out for a specialty nursery in Mesa which cares for newborns exposed to opioids.
Jo Jones, the founder of Jacob’s Hope, said they are worried they will be forced to close their doors at the end of August. That would mean turning away pregnant moms they’re caring for right now.
Jacob's Hope cares for babies like Damien, who are just a few days old. He started his life going through withdrawal from opioids. His mom was there with him too. While Damien withdrew from narcotics during the first few days of his life, he could have experienced tremors, more crying and irritability than normal, problems sleeping, feeding and breathing. That's according to the National Institutes of Health.
To help babies like Damien through that critical process, Jacob’s Hope gives specialized care. There’s a 24-hour medical staff and sensory friendly, calm and quiet rooms. plus recovery support for moms and more. Jones said they can continue care through August and are concerned about closing as early as September.
“We have moms that we’re working with and babies that we’re working with and we really want to be there to help them," Jones said. "There are also other mothers due in September, October, November, December, and so forth, that we’ve been working with all along and it would be devastating to have to call them and say we are closing our doors.”
Jones said they might have to turn away babies like Damien in part, because the Arizona Health Care Cost and Containment System is withholding $80,000 dollars in payments from them.
We reached out to AHCCCS to confirm and received this statement saying, “AHCCCS and its contracted health plans are aware of the issues experienced by Jacob's Hope, and have connected with Jacob’s Hope to provide assistance and ensure their claims are properly submitted to AHCCCS for payment. AHCCCS greatly values the critical services provided by Jacob's Hope and other providers throughout Arizona.”
In addition, Jones believes they’re eligible for a type of opioid crisis money from both the Arizona Department of Health Services and the City of Mesa, but it has not been given to them yet.
We asked AZDHS about the funding and the department replied via email saying, "Jacob’s Hope is part of the ADHS High Risk Perinatal Program (HRPP), and received $1,600 funding to enroll families in the program in 2023. The HRPP is a comprehensive, statewide system of services dedicated to reducing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. The program provides a safety-net for Arizona families, to ensure the most appropriate level of care surrounding birth as well as early identification and support for the child’s developmental needs. Recipient organizations may qualify for awards for enrollments completed on time with all required information; hospitals and specialty nurseries will be compensated $100 for all partial enrollments and $250 for all full enrollments."
When asked about the potential opioid crisis money in Mesa, Candace Cannistraro, the Deputy City Manager sent this response via email, “The City of Mesa was recently made aware of the circumstances facing Jacob’s Hope. We are in the process of reaching out to the organization to get more information.”
Anyone who would like to help can donate to Jacob's Hope. There's also an Amazon wish list. If you’d like to donate time, the nursery can use groups to pack backpacks, diaper bags, clean or do group fundraisers.
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