The public hospital system in New York City is implementing a ground-breaking addiction treatment program at its South Bronx medical centre after the same approach significantly reduced the number of overdose deaths on Staten Island.
With the help of a $660,000 donation from the Robin Hood Foundation, Health + Hospitals will begin the specialised “Hotspotting” therapy program at Lincoln Hospital.
A specialised care team of peer counsellors and community health workers will be assigned to individuals receiving treatment for opioid use in the emergency room of Lincoln Hospital under the Hotspotting approach.
The team will follow up with patients every two weeks for up to a year after they leave the hospital to provide assistance and connect them to medical care, addiction treatment, community-based resources, welfare benefits, and housing if necessary.
To help patients stay in touch with care, the initiative will provide them with a service contact and a cell phone.
The Lincoln Hospital program anticipates serving about 150 substance abusers who are most at risk of relapsing.
According to a review of the Hotspotting program, which was created in collaboration with MIT and operated by Northwell Health’s Staten Island Performing Provider System, there were just two fatal overdoses among 612 participants, whereas 1,089 addicts who did not participate died from overdoses.
In comparison to opioid users who were not enrolled in the program, the data also revealed a 63% decrease in ER visits linked to substance use disorders and a 36% decrease in non-fatal overdoses.
“The increasing potency of opioids in New York City requires new and innovative support for our care for patients with opioid use disorder,” Health + Hospitals president and CEO Mitchell Katz stated.
“The Hotspotting program will give our patients at Lincoln Hospital up to a year of follow-up care after they leave the hospital for opioid treatment. We are deeply grateful to Robin Hood and the Staten Island Performing Provider System for their support in launching this new model at NYC Health + Hospitals.”
According to city records, the number of fatal overdoses in New York City has more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic, rising from 1,452 deaths in 2018 to 3,046 deaths in 2023.
According to officials, patients who suffer a nonfatal overdose are more likely to die from an overdose in the future, and the Bronx has the highest rate of opioid overdose deaths in the city.
Joseph Conte, executive director of the Staten Island Performing Provider System (SIPPS), stated, “The Staten Island PPS is proud to partner with the outstanding and committed professionals at NYC Health + Hospitals to implement the Hotspotting Program.”
He pointed out that in Latino and Black neighbourhoods like the South Bronx, the opioid crisis is a severe issue.
“There remains a critical need for more innovation and proactive approaches to save lives, that is the essence of the Hotspotting approach,” Conte stated.
The new addiction treatment program at Lincoln Hospital is excited to get started.
Dr. Daniel Schatz, medical director of substance use disorder services in the behavioural health office at Health + Hospital, stated, “Our Hotspotting program will provide continuity of care as patients transition from the hospital into the community setting and will help them stay connected to healthcare and addiction services.”
Source: NY Post
