Partnership Will Expand Engagement of Hospital Patients

A partnership among a hospital, a behavioral health center and a philanthropic foundation in Tennessee is expected to result in engagement of more than 250 new patients with addictions annually.

A three-year grant of $1.05 million from the United Health Foundation to the Helen Ross McNabb Center will allow for an expansion of the Emergency Room Substance Misuse Harm Reduction and Engagement Program at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, it was announced this week. United Health Foundation is one of two philanthropic foundations of UnitedHealth Group.

The partners expect that 100 of the individuals served via the hospital program's expansion will accept a referral to outpatient or residential treatment options. “We've worked very hard to provide optimal care for those in our community who seek treatment at the medical center for medical issues associated with opioid and substance use, but we know the problem of addiction remains after we've treated a patient's medical issue,” James Shamiyeh, senior vice president at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, said in a news release.

The initiative will allow for the hiring of addiction and peer support specialists to work within the hospital emergency department to engage patients with substance use issues.