Summit County Council awards $500,000 to successful drug-addiction treatment program offered through hospital’s Emergency Departments
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AKRON: Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro and County Council on Monday night awarded Cleveland Clinic Akron General $500,000 to continue its successful Recovery’s in Reach program that offers immediate access to help for people with substance use disorder (SUD) through the hospital’s four Emergency Departments.
The program began in April of 2022 and was initially funded by a $1 million grant from the Summit County Opiate Abatement Advisory Council. To date, it has identified 1,513 patients who suffer from SUD. Recovery Coordinators have been able to refer or place 645 patients into outpatient or inpatient recovery centers.
In the program, emergency patients who are identified as needing help with SUD are matched with a Peer Recovery Coach from Catholic Charities onsite. The patients also see a registered nurse experienced in behavioral health and addiction services, who ensures that they get long-term supportive care to address their issues.
All patients who have been affected by SUD are offered help, including at-risk populations, such as the homeless and those with mental illness. Patients seen in Akron General’s PATH Center, which provides care to victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse, human trafficking, elder abuse and neglect, as well as pregnant women are also referred when care is needed.
“The opiate crisis in Summit County has crippled the health and well-being of our community for many years,” said Lead Program Coordinator Jonathan Sanchez, MBA, BSN, RN, who is the nurse manager of Akron General’s main campus emergency department. “Recovery’s in Reach has already helped so many people in this community and we are very appreciative of the Summit County Council providing additional funding that enables us to continue this work into the future.”
Cleveland Clinic Akron General is a nonprofit healthcare organization that has been improving the health and lives of the people and communities it serves since 1914. Akron General is the hub for Cleveland Clinic’s Southern Region and includes a 532-registered-bed teaching and research medical center in downtown Akron; Akron General Partners, which includes Partners Physician Group; three Health & Wellness Centers; Lodi Hospital; and Akron General Foundation. For more information, visit akrongeneral.org.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 77,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,658 salaried physicians and researchers, and 19,000 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,699-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, more than 275 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2022, there were 12.8 million outpatient encounters, 303,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 270,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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