Page 12 - Year in Review 2019-2020 - Mercy Foundation North
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 New Program Links Opioid Dependent Patients to Treatment
Overdose. Withdrawal. Opioid use-related medical issues. Opioid dependent patients often come into the Emergency Department because of these issues. In the past, a referral to an addiction treatment program had been standard practice. That has now changed due to a grant that Mercy Foundation North has secured from the California Bridge Program.
Operating since October 2019 at Mercy Medical Center and more recently at Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta, the program puts
trained staff members, known
as substance use navigators (SUNs), in contact with opioid dependent patients when they seek treatment in the Emer- gency Department. This interaction with medical staff is the critical window for initiating treatment.
Through this program, when
patients are suffering from
withdrawal, they will be
offered a dose of medication
such as buprenorphine to ease severe symptoms of withdrawal, and then they will be connected to outpatient treatment in the communty.
“Buprenorphine is itself an opioid but works differ- ently than the other opioids like morphine, hydroco- done, or oxycodone,” said Kathleen Delikowski, Mercy Medical Center Redding Director of Pharmacy. “Buprenorphine can be filled at a retail pharmacy like a normal Rx; whereas, methadone is only available through a methadone clinic. It used to be that it was hard to find a buprenorphine (x-waiver) provider and a pharmacy to fill, but the availability of buprenor- phine has and is increasing.”
Studies have shown that patients given the option of medication designed for addiction treatment are more likely to remain in care than those who are given referral alone.
Angela Caldwell, the SUN stationed at Mercy in Redding and her Mercy Mt. Shasta counterpart, Jennifer Reynolds, serve as links between patients and practitioners who are best qualified to treat their dependencies. The SUNs also are working to
raise awareness of the available treatment options.
“I love this job,” said Caldwell. “To be able to be there and help people who have a hard time helping themselves. It’s very rewarding.” In its first 10 months of operation, Caldwell contacted 281 patients while they visited the Emergency Department.
Initially, patients with opioid use disorder were directed to the Redding Rancheria Recovery Center
for treatment, Caldwell said. Now, additional treatment options include Hill Country Health and Wellness, Shasta Community Health Center, Moun- tain Valleys Health Centers, and Groups Recover Together.
Medication assisted treatment also is available from physicians in Mt. Shasta and through BrightHeart Health, a telemedicine provider, according to Reyn- olds.
The goal is to ensure that patients have a smooth transition from initial medication administration to continued care. 
 Studies have shown that patients given the option of medication designed for addiction treatment are more likely to remain in care than those who are given referral alone.
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