Hillcrest Hospital Receives $260K Grant for Opioid Addiction Treatments

A hospital in Hillcrest, San Diego will receive a quarter of a million dollars for opioid addiction treatment, in the midst of the opioid epidemic. This is all thanks to a statewide program that is aimed at reducing the overuse of prescription painkillers which is leading to multiple cases of fatal overdose. The $260K grant will also help with issues involving drug dependence.

The California Bridge Program awarded $260,000 to Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. The goal is to help expand inpatient and outpatient treatment programs that are available. The main target of the grant is opioid use disorder, according to Scripps Mercy.

“This program will treat a hospital visit as a critical window for starting opioid addiction treatment,” said Valerie Norton, M.D. She serves as an emergency medicine physician as well as a physician operations executive at Scripps Mercy.

The grant will help the San Diego hospital in two ways, according to Scripps Mercy. The first thing it can do is allow emergency room doctors to be trained in how to administer specific medications to certain patients. Patients who are exhibiting severe symptoms of withdrawal will be given medications to help lessen their effects. This can save many lives, as those who are drug dependent are at risk of fatal overdose when attempting to quit.

The life-threatening effects of withdrawal can be managed under the strict supervision of medical professionals. And with the training provided by the thousand-dollar grant, physicians will be better equipped to handle these emergency situations. Doctors may also prescribe medication as a temporary “bridge” for patients waiting for ongoing care.

“By suppressing withdrawal long enough to create a bridge for patients to enter and remain in treatment, physicians can save lives,” said Andrew Herring, M.D., who serves as director of emergency department services for the California Bridge Program. “We know this model works and now we are bringing it to hospitals across the state.”

Another important aspect of care is counseling, and the grant provided by The California Bridge Program will also help the Hillcrest center improve on this.

Counseling support will be added to Scripps Mercy’s emergency department, which it currently does not have. Most rehab facilities offer a combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy in order to help patients get sober. And while medical detox helps with the physical effects and adverse health problems caused by addiction, behavioral therapy is the one that gets to the bottom of addictive behavior.

Counseling and other similar therapy methods can help people deal with the emotional and psychological effects of opioid abuse. Click the link to see Madison's top rehab placement programs.

Before patients are discharged, they can be connected with services at Family Health Centers of San Diego. The hospital will also give patients follow-up opportunities so that they can receive support continuously.

Scripps Mercy treats more than 750,000 patients every year. It was one of 31 health facilities to be awarded grant funds for the same functions.

These two plans: medications and counseling will go a long way in fighting the opioid crisis. They are designed to work in tandem with a separate program launched by Scripps Mercy back in 2017, the Opioid Stewardship Program.

The Opioid Stewardship Program was created to educate patients about the risks of opioids and outline alternative medications.

The initiative resulted in a 25 percent reduction in the number of opioids being prescribed in the San Diego Hospital in 2018. They also set up drug take-back kiosks to help patients dispose of unused, unneeded, or outdated medications.

The California Bridge Program is managed by the Public Health Institute based in Oakland, California. The initiative is funded through the California Department of Health Care Services and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

If someone in the family is struggling with opioid addiction, it is important to seek help. A combination of medical detox and behavioral therapy can go a long way in the fight against drug abuse. But because every individual is affected by addiction differently, a comprehensive program tailored to their specific needs is necessary. Look for a nearby addiction treatment facility today and find out how drug treatment programs work.