Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association MEMBER MOMENTS: A Focus on Hospital SUD Services
The Boston Globe this week published a comprehensive story featuring many MHA members that delved into the inpatient treatment of substance use disorder.
“For decades, programs that treat people with addiction have operated largely outside the inpatient hospital setting,” Globe reporter Chris Serres wrote.
Starting in July using funds from the statewide Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, 15 Massachusetts hospitals will launch or expand teams of SUD specialists.
The article cites studies that show embedding treatment specialists within hospitals reduces substance use severity, increases participation in treatment, and reduces readmissions.
“In treating [addiction] like any other disease, I truly believe this [initiative] will be transformational for people who end up in the hospital,” Deirdre Calvert, director of DPH’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services told the Globe.