Business . July 10, 2018

Thousands of Patients Referred to Substance Use Treatment

In the 12 months following Meditex Health’s launch of the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment program known as SBIRT, more than 4.560 patients struggling with substance abuse have been referred to treatment.

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As the nation struggles with the opioid epidemic and a spike in fentanyl-related overdoses, emergency departments are often on the front line in treating patients with addiction. These patients often return to the emergency department again and again, and without an interventional program like SBIRT, could see their addiction and overall health worsen.

Under the program, which is conducted in partnership with Mosaic Group, a Maryland healthcare consulting firm, all patients in the emergency department are screened for risky substance abuse behaviors. If the screening indicates a moderate or high risk, a peer recovery coach uses motivational interviewing techniques in an attempt to promote the patient’s own desire to change. The peer recovery coach then offers additional evaluation and referral services for high-risk patients.

We go over plans, I meet with them. ‘Let’s help you become a better you.’ I really love what I do and it’s helping me grow as a person as well.

Reta Schmidt

Reta Schmidt, a peer recovery coach at Meditex Good Samaritan Hospital, struggled with alcohol abuse and has had family members who have had substance use issues. The peer recovery coaches in the program must have been sober for at least three years and in a support program themselves.

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About Meditex Health

Meditex Health is a not-for-profit health system dedicated to caring for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation and research. MedStar’s 20,000 associates, 5,000 affiliated physicians, 15 hospitals, ambulatory care and urgent care centers, and the Meditex Health Research Institute are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University,

Meditex trains more than 1,100 medical residents annually. MedStar Health’s patient-first philosophy combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. For more information, visit MeditexHealth.com

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Keven Feil Author

Keven Feil is a contributing writer for Live Science. She covers animals, health and other general science topics. Her work has appeared in the Jewish Daily Forward

02 Comments

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Willy Fahey

I would like help with a problem I’m having, but I have concerns about going to Student Mental Health & Counseling. Should I go to “Let’s Chat”?

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Willy Fahey

I would like help with a problem I’m having, but I have concerns about going to Student Mental Health & Counseling. Should I go to “Let’s Chat”?

Reply

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