overdose signs. At the very least, if they decide not to go into treatment, we can get them to implement some harm-reduction and get them to use less of whatever they are using,” says Jon Gray, MD, Medical Director of Emergency Services. Rebuilding trust The success of the program is attributed to placing substance use navigators (affectionately referred to as SUNs), who have a lived experience of addiction, as patient advocates to work with people presenting with substance use disorder. Having gone through a similar experience, SUNs have a passion for helping others into recovery and treatment. With SUNs helping coordinate with the emergency department staff and putting the patients’ goals first, patients are more receptive to seeking out treatment and recovery. After the initial encounter in the emergency department, SUNs follow their patients’ journeys and assist by finding and connecting them to resources in the community. The navigators are physically located in the emergency department during the day and are available on an oncall basis when they cannot physically be stationed there. In recent decades, society has cultivated a deep mistrust between people who use illicit drugs and medical providers. It is essential to understand that, although individual medical providers may not be responsible for this loss of trust, they carry the burden. Understanding this, the need for intervention by peer navigators has made a difference in the receptivity to treatment. “What’s most important is that people are receiving access to evidence-based, lifesaving opioid treatment, timely and effectively. Know that if you or a loved one is suffering from an opioid problem, help is available at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital,” says Dr. Gray. The Louisiana Bridge program renews and strengthens Memorial’s commitment to providing evidencebased treatment for addiction. Jon Gray, MD, pictured with substance use navigators at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Emergency Department. If you or a loved one struggles with substance use disorder, or to receive more information about the Louisiana Bridge Program, call 337-475-3100. Or go to imcalhsa.org for more information. “We are at a pivotal point in changing the way we think about addiction,” says Lacey Cavanaugh, MD, Medical Director for the Region V Office of Public Health. “Everyone knows the standard order set for something like a heart attack. It’s time we start to think about addiction in this same way. As medical professionals we must ask ourselves, ‘What’s the best way to treat addiction as a medical condition?’” With Louisiana on the forefront of the nation’s opioid epidemic, Lake Charles Memorial is proud to pilot this program and to be one of the emergency departments in the state taking steps to prioritize lifesaving, evidence-based substance use disorder treatment in the community. lcmh.com 7
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzIxMDA=