From ER to REhab –
JULY 22, 2019 – The study measured the success of a collaboration between Bucks County addiction treatment agencies and hospitals that provided warm handoffs to overdose survivors. It recommended expanding warm handoff training to new physician orientations, implementing automated triggers in electronic health records to identify overdose survivors, and expanding access to the overdose antidote Narcan.
Additionally, the IBX Foundation is launching a new study to re-evaluate the program, track outcomes and provide additional recommendations. “It’s a fight we’re going to win,” said Steve Fera, IBX senior vice president of public affairs. “I can’t tell you how. I can’t tell you when. But I can tell you we’re not wavering and I can tell you that we’re going to win.” Across the state, more than 5,000 people have been directly referred to treatment through a warm handoff since 2017. In Bucks County, 56 percent of overdose survivors who agreed to meet with a certified recovery specialist went directly into treatment.
“Overdose happens 24/7,” said Diane Rosati, executive director of the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission. “If a person is at-risk or has just survived overdose, we want to catch them immediately so they don’t have a second thought about accessing treatment. The sooner you can access services, the better. If someone is ready, we have to be there to offer them services.”
