This webinar was held for CCI’s Addiction Treatment Starts Here programs on February 28, 2020. Dr. Mark McGovern, ATSH Program Evaluator, provided an overview analysis of Wave 1 teams’ data from the baseline and midpoint capability assessments and quarterly program measures. Team members from Golden Valley Health Center, La Clínica de La Raza, and Family Health Centers of San Diego shared their experiences and stories behind their data.
WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS WEBINAR?
Those who are working to start or expand their MAT services and want to learn from other clinic teams about how they’re strengthening their programs.
OUR TAKEAWAYS:
- Impacting Clinic Culture & Environment – Examples of impacting culture change include: identifying the key influencers in their organization, emphasizing stigma training, and normalizing opioid addiction as a diagnosis like other chronic conditions. Dr. Villarama from Golden Valley Health Centers recommends educating from top to bottom (starting with senior leadership and Board, and all the way to line staff). It’s important to empower everyone to disseminate information about MAT services through whatever way they interact with patients in their role.
- Improving Retention of New Start Patients – Retention can be a proxy for MAT effectiveness, though tracking data for this measure can be really tough. Factors that have contributed to La Clínica de La Raza’s increase include: a clinic-wide registry that enables follow-up with all patients on MAT (better tracking leads to better outreach), case conferences where their core team discusses how to engage patients; and making it easier for patients to engage in care.
- Expanding MAT Services – Organization expanding MAT programs employ a variety of strategies to increase the number of patients served. Family Health Centers of San Diego, Hillcrest site have attributed their successful growth to: having a referral specialist dedicated to their SUD services department that manages all referrals from primary care, the community and patients; starting an evening refill group; hosting weekly case conferencing for their core team; and working closely with hospital partners and managed care plans.
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