Back in 2016, state officials declared the opioid addiction crisis a public health emergency. More than two years later, communities are still trying to combat the problem. A new program for the health care community might help turn the tide.
In a small room at Carilion’s Roanoke Memorial Hospital, a handful of physicians have gathered for the latest ECHO session. That’s Extending Community Health Outcomes.
There are many more, though, who are tuning in online.
“The idea is that using this interactive video technology, they’ll be able to reach the nethermost parts of the world, because it takes very little bandwidth.”
That’s Dr. Cheri Hartman. She’s in charge of overseeing ECHO for Carilion, in addition to the Roanoke hospital’s office-based opioid treatment, or OBOT, program.
Two years ago, Carilion, along with the health systems at VCU and UVA, were picked by the state’s Department of Health to establish ECHO hubs to service surrounding communities. Those providers began offering online sessions last year.
Each ECHO meeting includes a case study that features real-life situations and solutions.
Hartman says the online program is meant to bring as many healthcare professionals into the fold as possible.
“Unfortunately in some communities that are hardest hit with the opioid epidemic, there is just not enough number of treatment providers available," says Hartman. "So this methodology in a speedy manner can equip more providers to provide this kind of treatment.”
One of those providers is Carilion’s Saint Albans Hospital in the New River Valley, which provides psychiatric and behavioral health services to a good portion of southwest Virginia – an area of the state hit hard by the opioid epidemic.
Cynthia Baker is leading efforts to establish an OBOT program there for those dealing with addiction.
“They’ll have access to come here for their therapies, for their groups with other people that are going through the same things; so it’ll help them stay so that they don’t want to go back to that. And then the medication also will be dispensed.”
She says ECHO has played a big part in establishing the treatment program, and it will continue to do so in the future.
“It’s so beneficial for us to talk to other places; just getting together is good for us," she says. "And talking about the different areas, we’re not going to have all the areas that Roanoke will have because they have different things than we have, so it’ll be good education.”
We feel like the more people that are educated about opioid-use disorders -- period -- the more we are advancing solutions to the opioid epidemic.
That education opportunity is another thing that officials hope will attract physicians to attend the ECHO clinics. Participants are eligible to receive continuing medical education credits.
Hartman says that invitation even extends beyond physicians.
“We include in these ECHO sessions, you know, nurses, social workers, prescribers; really anyone interested in learning about it. We feel like the more people that are educated about opioid-use disorders -- period -- the more we are advancing solutions to the opioid epidemic.”
She believes that the program has come about at a great time, considering the state has now expanded Medicaid coverage to about 400,000 low-income Virginians. That eliminates two of the biggest problems when it comes to combating the epidemic: access to care and proper health insurance.
Carilion is offering the ECHO clinics to physicians free of charge with some funding help from the Virginia Department of Health.
Carilion Clinic is a financial supporter of RADIO IQ.
