Showcasing the Power of the Hub

When it comes to making changes in public health, the road from an innovative idea to a sustainable program is lined with all sorts of challenges. From breaking down siloes between different partners to centering community need, reaching the end goal can be hard. The real community value is seeing that idea all the way through.

That’s what makes our regional Opioid Treatment Network so amazing. It started as an innovative idea that has blossomed into a powerful program that literally saves lives.

As in many other sectors, there often exists a disconnect between physical health services and behavioral health services, which are designed to support individuals facing substance use disorder (SUD). One of the most successful tools for individuals with SUD is medically assisted treatment (MAT), which can be provided to someone when they are admitted to an emergency department setting. While it is incredibly helpful, it is also difficult to find.

SWACH is grateful to partner with PeaceHealth, Lifeline Connections, Klickitat Valley Health, and others as part of the Opioid Treatment Network. Through this program, we have been able to add MAT access to two of the larger hospitals in Southwest Washington.

“What we are ending up with is a hospital that treats addiction aggressively tied into the resources and the community. We find our [gaps], and we bring in people to solve those — like Xchange Recovery,” said Dr. John Hart, who has been leading MAT efforts at PeaceHealth since the beginning.

So, how does this program work? What really makes it unique? There are three important elements to the MAT program that are responsible in large part for its success: 1.) access to care in hospital environments, 2.) cross-sector collaboration, and 3.) a changing narrative around what SUD is and how we can combat it.

Access to Care in Hospital Environments

As mentioned earlier, a crucial part of the MAT program is providing care in emergency department settings.

This component of the program represents a major change in how we treat SUD. Previously, someone who visited an emergency room for SUD would be given a referral for support. That put an extra burden on the individual seeking help and significantly decreased the likelihood that they would get the support they needed.

By bringing MAT options into hospitals, we can treat individuals for SUD while they are in emergency care. At PeaceHealth, a Lifeline employee holds regular office hours to support patients on-site.

It’s a revolutionary idea — bringing care to the patient rather than expecting the patient to carry the burden on their own.

Cross-Sector Collaboration

Cross-sector support from existing opioid taskforces, like the Clark County Opioid Taskforce, is vital to the success of this program.

These groups create strategies to focus on harm reduction and preventing overdoses, which is greatly needed in our region.

"Once you find out what to do, you have an obligation to expand yourself way past your [own] hospital,” said Dr. Hart.

“These partnerships allow us to connect patients to peers — individuals with relatable lived experiences and knowledge — at various parts of the recovery journey. Peer involvement continues to be an ongoing conversation, and we constantly are looking for ways to leverage these community members' lived experiences."

A Changing Narrative

Access to care and cross-sector collaboration are leading to a changing narrative. Organizations are dedicated to working together to create lasting change addressing SUD.

“In terms of a cultural shift, the stigma and othering of this work within the physical health sector has really shifted. Hospitals don’t see this as something to hand off,” said Eric McNair Scott, Director of Clinical and Community Linkages at SWACH. “It has to be an integrated, collaborative approach.”