ProMedica Receives a $1,983,000 Grant to Combat Opioid Abuse

ProMedica is pleased to announce that it received a grant from the Ohio Department of Health for its Comprehensive Care for Substance Use in Ohio Emergency Departments (CCOED) program.

In recent years, ProMedica created a uniform prescribing policy that includes a standardized protocol for prescribing opioids and management of chronic and acute pain. Additionally, a naloxone distribution program was piloted and is currently being implemented at all of its Ohio-based emergency departments (EDs).
This funding for the CCOED program will expand the current work ProMedica is doing in its Ohio-based EDs.

ProMedica is also partnering with Christ Hospital Health Network in Cincinnati and Premier Health in Dayton to combat opioid abuse. “These partners have demonstrated the ability and desire to collaborate, and through this alliance, we will reach high-priority counties in Ohio, including Butler, Hamilton, Lucas and Montgomery,” said Brian Kaminski, DO, emergency medicine physician and ProMedica vice president of quality and patient safety.

CCOED has three overarching goals:
Identify patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) by implementing a screening process in EDs;

Manage OUD by implementing evidence-based practices in emergency medicine; and
Transition patients to long-term care and supportive services using innovative processes that improve pathways to treatment. These goals will be met through comprehensive activities structured around screening, medication assisted treatment (MAT), naloxone distribution, linkages to care and a real-time treatment finder.

“The ED has proven to be a successful access point to reach all patients presenting to the ED with a history of opioid misuse, positive opiate drug screen and at-risk individuals being discharged with opioids,” said Kaminski. “The ED serves a wide variety of patients, including those who are experiencing health disparities and health inequities, as well as those who are uninsured and/or without access to primary care. We are able to better connect patients to needed services.”

Additionally, ProMedica will partner with Workit Health, FindLocalTreatment and the Center of Assessment and Evaluation Services (CAES) at Bowling Green State University. Workit Health will support activities associated with MAT and transition patients to long-term care, both on demand and through existing community resources. FindLocalTreatment will support access to real-time addiction treatment services, and CAES will provide evaluation services.