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Life After Opioid Addiction: MAT Program Offers Hope for the Future

It’s heartbreaking to watch lives develop their own path of recov- oid prescriptions by more than 50% and
destroyed and sometimes prematurely ery and build a life worth living. lowered the likelihood of patients devel-
ended by a person’s addiction to opioids. oping opioid use disorder.
It’s something we’ve witnessed first- Life-changing Impact
hand, as Memorial Healthcare System Since its inception just over Recognized Success
operates the busiest emergency depart- five years ago, Memorial’s MAT The Memorial MAT program has been
ment in Broward and our county histori- program has served more than cited as a model for treatment by the
cally has the second highest rate of over- 500 patients, many of whom Broward Behavioral Health Coalition and
dose deaths in the state. have co-occurring psychiatric was one of Florida Blue Foundation’s
conditions (such as bipolar dis- 2020 Sapphire Award winners. “Mothers
A New Way of Thinking order, depression, and anxiety) in Recovery” was one of only five pro-
By 2015, it was clear we needed a new and struggle with psychosocial grams in the country this year to be hon-
approach to combat an out of control, BY CLAUDIA P. VICENCIO, PHD, LCSW, LMFT, stressors that include poverty, ored with the American Hospital
opioid epidemic in Florida. Memorial AND ALBERTO AUGSTEN, PHARM.D., limited transportation, or hous- Association’s Dick Davidson Nova
brought together a team of professionals M.S., BCPP, DABAT ing issues. Award.
and community stakeholders to create a Among these individuals, 136 While we’re proud of these honors, the
comprehensive, evidence-based addic- pregnant women have been part true measure of impact can be seen in the
tion recovery program designed to treat approach that delivers medical, behav- of “Mothers in Recovery,” with profound gratitude of patients who have
the complex psychological and medical ioral, social, peer, and recovery services 93% of their babies subsequently born built meaningful lives in recovery, with
complications of opioid use disorder • Connections to community and drug free. Post-partum, 91% remained strong connections to family and com-
(OUD). Initially focused on pregnant additional support services that address opioid free after three months, 62% after munity. Hearing their stories of growth
women, the Medication Assisted social factors that impact recovery (ex: six months, and more than half were still and empowerment and witnessing the
Treatment (MAT) program worked to housing, job training, etc.) drug free a year later. Among all MAT joy of former patients working in the
reduce the number of babies born with Memorial’s program combines FDA- patients, overdose-related emergency recovery field as peer specialists, assist-
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), a approved medications with psychophar- department visits and hospitalizations ing others facing some of the same chal-
group of conditions caused when a new- macology/ medication management, pre- declined significantly. lenges that once threatened their own
born withdraws from in utero drug expo- ventive medicine, recovery support serv- Additional harm-reduction efforts lives.
sure. Two years later, we expanded our ices, and psychotherapy services. This included the dissemination of free Memorial Healthcare System is helping
efforts to help all persons battling opioid includes Dialectical Behavior Therapy Narcan kits for use as emergency treat- individuals rebuild lives and relation-
addiction. (DBT), an evidence-based approach that ment for suspected opioid overdoses. To ships one day at a time and that’s some-
The underlying premise of the pro- teaches skills to help people regulate date, our EDs and community service thing we’ll never tire of seeing.
gram is to give people options, tools, and emotions, control self-destructive behav- teams have dispensed more than 800 kits Claudia Vicencio directs clinical serv-
a phased approach to treatment as the iors, and improve relationships. and saved at least 23 lives through docu- ices at the Memorial Outpatient
building blocks of recovery. For example, This “whole person” philosophy of mented reversals. Behavioral Health Center. Alberto
detoxification may be the appropriate care requires our multidisciplinary team We’ve also made it a priority to work Augsten, a board-certified toxicologist,
place to begin, but it takes significant of navigators, peer counselors, social with ED leaders to institute opioid pre- manages the pharmacy and Long-Acting
level of post-acute care to give the patient workers, pharmacists, and medical scribing guidelines, promoting alterna- Therapy clinic at Memorial Regional
the best recovery outcomes, including: providers work together to help patients tives to addictive drugs for minor condi- Hospital.
• A coordinated, non-judgmental tions and injuries. This has reduced opi-

A Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health

Fort Lauderdale Behavioral first responders and serves children and adolescents. Treasure vidual who has not had success with
Health Center is a center of healthcare workers. The Cove focuses on the family as the center medications to treat their illness, specifi-
excellence for Behavioral Valor program focuses on of treatment. cally depression. TMS is offered as an
Health in Oakland Park, the trauma-related expe- The 48-bed Reflections and 16-bed outpatient service in the clinic. ECT is a
Florida. The hospital is dedi- rience of the first respon- Sunrise units’ serve adults diagnosed treatment option for both inpatients and
cated to assisting individuals der, and how the work- with mental illness. Treatment focuses on outpatients. ECT is a highly effective
and families in their mental related trauma affects the acute stabilization and community rein- treatment for individuals that suffer from
health. Over the last two individual’s level of func- tegration. depression, catatonia or psychosis.
years in this state-of-the-art tioning as well as their Finally, the 30-bed Hope unit serves Fort Lauderdale Behavioral Health
hospital, Fort Lauderdale family system. patients with both mental illness and/or Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a
Behavioral Health Center has The 30-bed Journey addiction for the more medically fragile week to ensure that help is always avail-
expanded programming for and Pathways unit is ded- patient. able. Individuals can self-request evalua-
both their inpatient and out- BY JILLIAN WIRZMAN icated to those individu- Fort Lauderdale Behavioral Health tion for inpatient help or contact the out-
patient service lines. als struggling with sub- Center also has extensive outpatient patient clinic for an appointment with
Fort Lauderdale Behavioral stance abuse and sobriety. services from Partial Hospitalization, either a Psychiatrist or Therapist.
Health Center hosts seven different units Patients have the opportunity to safely Intensive Outpatient, Psychiatric
that are specific to the individual needs detox from drugs and alcohol and if Medication Management, Therapy Jillian Wirzman is the Chief Nursing
and treatment frameworks of the patient. appropriate, stay for rehabilitation serv- Services, as well as Transcranial Magnetic Officer at Fort Lauderdale Behavioral
The Valor program is the newest service ices to promote stabilization, change and Stimulation (TMS) and Electro- Health Center. For more information, visit
line with 14 inpatient beds and outpa- recovery. convulsive Therapy (ECT) treatments. ftlauderdalebehavioral.com.
tient individual and group treatment for Treasure Cove is a 44-bed unit that TMS is a treatment used for the indi-

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28 September 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News