Page 22 - FOCUS APRIL 2018

New lifeline for overdose victims
Christiana Care and New Castle County announce innovative partnership to combat the opioid epidemic
Christiana Care Health System and New Castle County announced the creation of an innovative pilot program to help individuals receive addiction treatment and support after they are released from the emergency department (ED) following treatment for an opioid overdose Launching in in fall 2018 the the program — called the the Community Substance Overdose Support (SOS) Program — will create a a a a response team of specially trained engagement specialists who with with the patients’ consent will visit with with patients patients at at at home following an an overdose The team will provide education and access to to to resources to to to patients and their families to to to help break the the cycle of addiction addiction These may include addiction addiction counseling and medication-assisted treatment and training on on proper administration of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone (Narcan) “The opioid crisis has claimed tens of thousands
of lives across the nation and it continues to ravage families here in our community ”
said Janice E Nevin M M D MPH Christiana Care president and CEO “To solve it we need to work in new ways — together We know through through our breakthrough work in in Project Engage that when we reach reach patients in in a a a a a a a reachable 20 CHRISTIANA CARE HEALTH SYSTEM