Substance Abuse Service Expansion

Florence, SC – In March 2016 HopeHealth was chosen as 1 of 3 Community Health Centers in South Carolina to receive a Substance Abuse Service Expansion award from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This award was developed to improve and expand the delivery of substance abuse services in health centers, with a specific focus on treatment of opioid use disorders in underserved populations. It will help expand access to medication-assisted treatment and integrate these services in health centers to control opioid misuse and abuse.

With this award, HopeHealth aims to coordinate services necessary for patients to achieve and sustain recovery. Program goals include:

Increase the number of patients screened for substance use disorders and connected to treatment via evidence-based practices;
Increase the number of patients with health center-funded access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use and other substance use disorders treatment
Provide training and educational resources to help health professionals make informed prescribing decisions and address the over-prescribing of opioids
Increase education, screening, care coordination, risk reduction interventions, and/or counseling regarding the availability of testing, treatment, and clinical management for patients with or at risk of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and other diseases associated with opioid use disorders

In addition, HopeHealth will be able to increase its capacity to provide the services above by expanding the number of psychiatrists, behavioral health counselors, licensed clinical social workers, as well as case managers to provide support services for patients battling with substance abuse issues.

Supplemental services include the introduction of Suboxone® treatment for opiate addiction, including heroine and narcotic painkillers. The treating physician is HopeHealth provider, Dr. Patrick Honaker; he is a board-certified physician, specializing in pain management.

HopeHealth Substance Abuse Program

HopeHealth

HopeHealth educates its patients on the importance of having a health care home. As a primary care facility, HopeHealth’s medical team works to prevent and detect illness and the early onset of disease, provide routine physical examinations and promote overall healthy lifestyles.