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HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & FACILITY PLANNING

Health Care District Joins Palm Beach County Commission

and JFK Medical Center to Officially Open the County’s

First-of-its-Kind Addiction Stabilization Unit

(l-r) Dr. Alina M. Alonso, Director, Florida Department of Health for Palm Beach County
and Health Care District of Palm Beach County Board Member; Doug McGlynn, Deputy
Chief of Operations, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue; Commissioner Melissa McKinlay,
MAT Program Staff (l-r) Carlos del Risco Parra, Medical Assistant; Ingrid Barlett, Palm Beach County District 6; Chief Reginald Duren, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue;
Behavioral Health Coordinator; Alex Pierre Julian; Registration Specialist; Massiel Perez, Gina Melby, CEO, JFK Medical Center Main and North Campus; Dr. Kenneth Scheppke,
Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Claudia Rexach, Licensed Clinical Social Worker; and State of Florida EMS Medical Director; Dr. Belma Andri , Chief Medical Officer and VP
Calalisa Olivier, LPN. and Executive Director of Clinic Services, Health Care District; Darcy J. Davis, CEO,
Health Care District; Nancy C. Banner, Esq., Vice Chair, Health Care District Board;
In a bold move to combat the opioid probability the patient will comply with a Verdenia C. Baker, Palm Beach County Administrator and Dr. Courtney Rowling, Director
crisis through evidence-based, medical longer-term treatment plan after dis- of Behavioral Health, Health Care District.
treatment, the Health Care District of charge.
Palm Beach County, JFK Medical Center Once a patient is stabilized and opts to
and the Palm Beach County Commission explore long-term treatment options,
unveiled an innovative public-private medical staff recommends the care best
partnership on February 5, 2020, offi- suited for the patient. Many of the
cially opening a one-of-a-kind Addiction patients from the unit have received a
Stabilization Unit within JFK Medical warm hand-off to the Health Care
Center’s North Campus in West Palm District’s MAT program, which is conve-
Beach. niently located in an outpatient clinic
“From the time a patient suffering adjacent to the hospital.
from addiction is first treated by fire res- There patients are seen by a team of
cue personnel, to their arrival at this psychiatrists, primary care physicians,
Addiction Stabilization Unit, to the fol- counselors specialized in treating addic-
low-up plan for long-term recovery, the tion and other licensed professional serv-
patient is the focus of an extraordinary ices, including medication assisted treat-
team of health care providers,” said ment (Buprenorphine, Naltrexone and
Darcy J. Davis, Health Care District CEO Vivitrol), individual and group therapy,
in her remarks at the ribbon-cutting psychiatric services, individualized care
event. coordination, pharmacy services and
“That team is the result of another links to other health and social services.
groundbreaking team – a public-private “This project is our attempt to med-
partnership that has created a program icalize addiction and treat it like other
unique in Florida and one of very few in medical illnesses,” said Belma Andri , Addiction Unit
the U.S.” MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, VP and
Over 350 patients have received spe- Executive Director of Clinical Services ory of Tasha McCraw, the daughter of her crowd, county leaders praised the initia-
cialized care since the unit opened its for the Health Care District. “We took a former chief of staff, Johnnie Easton, tive as a national model.
doors on October 21, 2019. Fire rescue public health approach and set out to who died of an overdose in 2016. Easton, “This most importantly will save lives,
agencies in municipalities throughout change the way care is provided for this who attended the event, said her daugh- but it also demonstrates that Palm Beach
the county have adopted protocols allow- very complex, relapsing, lifelong and ter would be proud that those who are at County continues to be at the forefront
ing them to bypass the closest emergency life-threatening illness for which treat- the lowest point in their life can visit the in fighting the opioid epidemic,” said
room to transport overdose patients ment resources are scarce, fragmented unit and not feel ashamed to ask for help. State Attorney Dave Aronberg.
directly to the centralized facility. For and not very well defined by national “What Tasha loved … is helping other “We want to ensure that for all of our
patients arriving after an overdose, med- medical associations.” people,” Commissioner McKinlay said in residents here in Palm Beach County, if
ication assisted treatment (MAT) is pro- For Palm Beach County Commissioner her remarks. “As she’s looking down they need assistance for substance use
vided within the first few hours of arrival Melissa McKinlay, the grand opening upon us from heaven, she will be helping disorder, we have a mechanism for them
to take away the cravings, minimize took on a personal meaning. The unit other people, too.” to receive quality care,” said Verdenia
withdrawal symptoms and increase the will display a statue of an angel in mem- In front of a standing-room only Baker, County Administrator.

40 March 2020 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News