The five-year, $4.75 million award from the Health Resources and Services Administration will expand access to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders education to health care providers across the United States.
Boston Medical Center (BMC) has received a five-year, $4.75 million award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to implement a national training program that aims to prevent prenatal alcohol exposure and to improve outcomes in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The program, entitled The SAFEST Choice National Learning Collaborative, will use a virtual education model to train primary healthcare teams on counseling patients about the risks of alcohol exposure during pregnancy and identifying and managing care for children with suspected or diagnosed FASD.
Prenatal alcohol exposure is the most common, preventable cause of intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States. Prenatal exposure to alcohol can result in a range of conditions, collectively referred to as FASDs, which can involve physical, cognitive, and behavioral challenges. “FASD is estimated to affect up to 5% of first graders in this country or as many as 1 in 20 children. Despite its high prevalence, FASD remains misunderstood and often overlooked,” says Daniel Alford, MD, MPH, director of the training program and director of the BMC Clinical Addiction Research and Education Unit.
The SAFEST Choice National Learning Collaborative will equip healthcare teams around the country with tools and knowledge to address FASD. The program builds on the success of a BMC-led regional version of the program, which ran from 2020-2024 and trained 70 healthcare teams in 18 states across the Midwest and Northeast. Participants in this regional program reported significant increases in FASD-related knowledge and confidence, and self-reported practice change including screening for prenatal alcohol exposure and coordinating care for patients with suspected or confirmed FASD.
A new cohort of participants will begin the program in February 2025. Participants will engage in ten live, virtual sessions over five months that cover fundamental FASD learning competencies through instructional presentations delivered by experts in the field. Participants will also present clinical cases for group discussion and will receive recommendations from peers and expert faculty.
“This learning collaborative will equip professionals with the critical knowledge and skills to improve early identification and support for children with FASD, setting the stage for better health outcomes and stronger, more resilient communities nationwide,” says Alford, who is also a professor of medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
The program is currently seeking clinics to participate in the first round of training. Interested clinics should contact the SAFEST Choice team at safestchoice@bmc.org
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Boston Medical Center models a new kind of excellence in healthcare, where innovative and equitable care empowers all patients to thrive. We combine world-class clinicians and cutting-edge treatments with compassionate, quality care that extends beyond our walls. As an award-winning health equity leader, our diverse clinicians and staff interrogate racial disparities in care and partner with our community to dismantle systemic inequities. And as a national leader in research and the teaching affiliate for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, we’re driving the future of care.