CHARLESTON, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, the state’s largest provider of Medicaid managed health care benefits, has funded the expansion of an innovative program designed to address substance use disorders. This program is named Project ECHO, and is centered on mainstreaming substance use treatment as part of primary care to remove the stigma that is sometimes associated with seeking care. By collaborating with the West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute (WVCTSI), West Virginia University, West Virginia Primary Care Association and Cabin Creek Health Systems, UniCare is helping to connect primary care providers across the state with expert information about medication, behavioral counseling and social supports that can be used to treat patients with substance use disorders.
“I’m confident that if we mainstream the treatment of substance use disorders into the primary care setting, we are going to make significant progress in slowing and stopping the tragic addiction crisis that is crippling our state,” said Mitch Collins, president of UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia. “It is critical to remove the stigma associated with substance use treatment and ensure that all of a patient’s health care and social needs are being addressed in a single, convenient and familiar setting. UniCare’s support of Project ECHO can make this a reality and help West Virginia win the war against addiction.”
Project ECHO was first developed at the University of New Mexico to address the shortage of physicians with expertise to treat Hepatitis C, particularly in rural communities. The program connected primary care providers with treatment specialists at academic medical centers through video conferencing technology, so they could share patient cases and receive feedback on best practices approaches to treating patients. This model was adopted in West Virginia to expand treatment of Hepatitis C and chronic pain disorder. With UniCare’s support it is again being expanded to connect West Virginia primary care clinicians with substance addiction treatment guidance and knowledge, including the benefits of medication assisted treatment.
“Medication assisted treatment is the best, proven weapon doctors have to help the seemingly endless number of people whose lives are being destroyed by opioid and substance addiction,” said James Berry, D.O., addiction psychiatrist and medical director at West Virginia University Medicine’s Chestnut Ridge Center. “Unfortunately we do not have enough providers who are skilled in medication assisted treatment to address the expanding needs in our state. With UniCare and WVCTSI’s help, we believe we can change that.”
Medication assisted treatment combines medications used to treat substance use disorders with behavioral counseling and social support. It is a comprehensive approach to addressing dependence, including struggles with withdrawal, cravings and relapse. It has been proven to help individuals overcome addiction and maintain long-term recovery. Expanding the use of medication assisted treatment among primary care providers who are not addiction specialists requires the spread of information about specialized medications and approaches used to treat substance use disorders. With this knowledge, providers can treat disorders themselves, within their own clinics, or be better positioned to coordinate care for their patients with support from a team of mental and physical health care specialists.
“Addiction is not a quick fix,” Berry added. “We cannot give patients a pill and tell them that this will make it all better. Physicians need to address the whole person and have the insight on how to adjust treatment for their patients as needed. Ongoing guidance through Project ECHO is going to provide that support.”
Health care providers who are interested in learning more about Project ECHO substance use disorder treatment sessions can contact WVCTSI or visit http://wvctsi.org/programs/community-engagement-outreach/project-echo/. Sessions are currently being conducted and registration is ongoing for all interested West Virginia practitioners.
ABOUT UNICARE HEALTH PLAN OF WEST VIRGINIA, INC.
UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc. serves more than 130,000 Medicaid beneficiaries living in West Virginia. Every day, members of the UniCare team can be found in West Virginia communities listening to our members, interacting with our health care providers and partnering with community-based organizations. UniCare has served Medicaid beneficiaries in West Virginia since 2003. For more information about UniCare, visit http://mss.unicare.com/, and follow the company on Twitter @UniCareWV.
