ChristianaCare and NeuroFlow Partner to Broaden Access to Maternal Mental Health Care with Technology-based Support Program

ChristianaCare has partnered with NeuroFlow, a behavioral health technology and analytics company, to support maternal mental health care in Delaware and surrounding communities for ChristianaCare patients. This innovative collaboration will use technology-driven patient support and education to develop a more comprehensive approach to understanding and addressing the mental health needs of mothers. As the leading delivery provider in Delaware, ChristianaCare delivers more than 6,000 babies each year. To strengthen its commitment to connecting patients with mental health resources, ChristianaCare is investing in technology that enables care teams to provide mental health support to patients in their homes. ChristianaCare will provide this program at no cost to pregnant patients, offering support from early pregnancy through the postpartum period.

“We know that mental health and maternal health are deeply intertwined,” said Kaveeta Kumar, M.D., MBA, FACOG, interim chair of OB-GYN at ChristianaCare. “This technology will significantly enhance our ability to identify and respond to the individual needs of mothers. It will provide impactful tools that can offer patients peace of mind and give care teams the opportunity to intervene when mental health needs escalate.” ChristianaCare will make NeuroFlow’s platform available for pregnant and post-partum patients at its hospitals and 15 OB-GYN outpatient locations, as well as ChristianaCare’s Center for Women’s Emotional Wellness.

Pregnant and postpartum ChristianaCare patients will receive access to a mobile application and text-message-based communications, education and assessments designed to help them learn skills for managing the challenges of pregnancy and parenthood. As these patients progress through their journey, they will receive relevant resources and regular assessments automatically from NeuroFlow, supporting them every step of the way.

Use of the mobile application is voluntary, and patients are not required to download and use the mobile application to access prenatal or postpartum care. The mobile application is intended to further supplement the already comprehensive offering of prenatal and postpartum support offered to patients by ChristianaCare. Clinical care teams will use key data points to monitor patient progress and track behavioral health symptoms and physical care needs. This initiative is part of a suite of tools developed by NeuroFlow aimed at closing care gaps in maternal mental health, where patients have traditionally been under-screened and under-supported.

“As we innovate and find opportunities for mothers to better understand their behavioral and physical health needs, we have the potential to make real, tangible improvements in the health of families and communities. This is exciting work,” Kumar said. Collaborative efforts between ChristianaCare and NeuroFlow facilitated the integration of this innovative platform. The initiative was led by Malina Spirito, Psy.D., Med, a clinical psychologist and director of the Center for Women’s Emotional Wellness at ChristianaCare, alongside Mary Fran Storm Crowley, MS, chief OB-GYN Advanced Practice Clinician at ChristianaCare. “This era of tech-enabled care is unlocking the ability for care teams to stay ahead of mental health escalations and engage patients beyond the four walls of the hospital,” said NeuroFlow Chief Behavioral Health Officer Tom Zaubler, M.D. “NeuroFlow’s technology creates a critical safety net for patients in vulnerable phases of life, like pregnancy and postpartum, helping to identify those who need additional support and deliver relevant resources. This kind of between-appointment connectivity brings care teams and patients closer together and ultimately drives better outcomes.”