Hesseltine
By Scott Hesseltine
Every year, a new report highlights the toll of drug overdoses in our communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s August report, 72,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year with most stemming from opioid use. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl can be 50 times more powerful than heroin thus causing a huge increase in accidental overdose fatalities.
Every one of those deaths means immeasurable pain for a parent, child, family and community. In our experience at Centerstone, providing low-barrier access to medication-assisted treatment and comprehensive support that meets individuals where they are has made recovery possible for many individuals. A critical component to this success includes treating the whole person and addresses both the chronic physical and mental issues with an integrated primary clinic approach.
Substance Use Disorders
Substance use disorders can complicate the management of other chronic disorders. For example, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) states “Substance use disorders, depression and other medical comorbidities are associated with poor adherence to medications for Type 2 diabetes.
Evidence also suggests that addressing substance use and physical health together improves both physical health and substance use conditions.
Integrated Primary Care
The Centerstone Addiction Recovery Center Integrated Primary Care Clinic provides comprehensive care management and coordination services and functions as the central point of contact for directing patient-centered care across the broader healthcare system.
Clients visit our Primary Care Physicians (PCP) for untreated wounds, diabetes management, endocarditis medication management and more. Many of these clients haven’t seen a PCP in years and need medical interventions allowing them to focus on their recovery.
The Integrated Primary Care Clinic patients work with an interdisciplinary team of providers to develop an individualized recovery care plan to best manage their care. This model also elevates the role and importance of peer support specialists, therapists, targeted case managers and supported employment specialist that all work tandemly to give wrap around support to individuals to create a true holistic treatment approach. In doing so, the Integrated Primary Care Clinic focuses on a patients’ complete health and social needs while they continue the journey of recovery.
Overall, the purpose of the Integrated Primary Care Clinic is to:
- Improve care management of individuals with opioid use disorders and comorbid chronic conditions, including Medication Assisted Treatment.
- Improve care coordination between physical and behavioral healthcare services.
- Improve care transitions between primary, specialty and inpatient settings of care.
Our emphasis is on letting the clients guide their goals, whether that’s obtaining housing, employment or healing broken relationships with their family. Tammy, a Centerstone client, described her recovery journey as long and difficult. Having access to the Integrated Primary Care Clinic, housing and employment made a difference to her. “I needed a hand up, not a handout,” said Tammy. She now runs a program with a partner agency to help homeless individuals with substance use disorder get a job.
By meeting people where they are and providing low-barrier access to medication-assisted treatment and integrated primary care, we are making recovery possible for more individuals. In treating the whole person and addressing both chronic physical and mental issues with a comprehensive approach, we are providing effective treatment options that increase the chances that people will get and stay healthy.
The purpose of the Integrated Primary Care Clinic is to:
- Improve care management of individuals with opioid use disorders and comorbid chronic conditions, including Medication Assisted Treatment.
- Improve care coordination between physical and behavioral healthcare services.
- Improve care transitions between primary, specialty and inpatient settings of care.
-Scott Hesseltine is the vice president of addiction services at Centerstone.
