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Business Briefs: Washburn House, Newport, Pear, Cornerstone, LifeWorks
Washburn House, an addiction treatment provider and part of the Promises Behavioral Health family of programs, has appointed Dennis R. Bates, CADC, LADC-I, as its new facility CEO. Bates has more than 25 years of experience as an addiction treatment professional. In his new role, he will provide support for both the residential facility, as well as the PATH Worcester outpatient treatment center.
Bates has served in a variety of roles throughout his career, including as a treatment coordinator, executive director, and clinical director. He has also served on the Massachusetts Bureau of Substance Addiction Counselors Certification Board of Directors, and is a past recipient of the NIATx David West Award while working on a grant for Gosnold Treatment Center to help with emergency department assessments.
Newport Names New Chief Experience Officer
Newport Healthcare has announced the promotion of Kristin Wilson, MA, LPC, CCTP, to the role of chief experience officer. In her new position, Wilson will be tasked with enhancing the patient experience at Newport’s national network of residential and outpatient treatment programs.
Wilson has worked in the field since 1997, having served in leadership roles in a variety of settings, including inpatient, residential, and outpatient levels of care for mental health, substance use, process addictions, and eating disorders. She joined Newport in 2015 and was instrumental in developing a national team to serve clinical professionals and families as Newport’s vice president of clinical outreach.
Oklahoma Medicaid Partners With Pear to Implement Digital Therapeutics
Pear Therapeutics, developer of prescription digital therapeutics, announced that it has entered into a value-based agreement with Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to provide access to Pear’s reSET and reSET-O digital therapeutics for the treatment of substance use disorders and opioid use disorders. The therapeutics are being made available to Oklahomans enrolled in Oklahoma Medicaid, the state’s Medicaid program which is more commonly known as SoonerCare.
The agreement will use performance- and outcomes-based benchmarks. In a news release announcing the deal, Terry Cothran, senior pharmacy director of Oklahoma Medicaid, said that in addition to improved health for plan members, the state anticipates a cost savings from a reduction in healthcare resource utilization.
Cornerstone Adds Residential Program, Expands Outpatient Offerings
Cornerstone Healing Center, a drug and alcohol addiction treatment program in Scottsdale, Arizona, announced that it is adding 2 treatment options. The company is opening its first residential treatment center, as well as a newly renovated outpatient facility. The residential program will offer group and individual therapy sessions, EMDR therapy to assist in healing trauma, nutrition education, and meditation and yoga.
The residential facility has a 10-bed capacity, and patients will be able to receive treatment for 30 to 90 days. The renovation of the outpatient center has increased that facility’s capacity to 30 patients.
Cornerstone’s expansion in Arizona comes as the state’s Department of Health Services reports a record 1,982 opioid overdose-involved deaths in 2020, a 45% year-over-year increase.
LifeWorks Acquires Breaking Free
LifeWorks, a provider of mental health, digital and in-person wellbeing solutions, announced this week that it has acquired Breaking Free, which provides behavioral health software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings for substance use intervention. The addition expands LifeWorks’ services to include SUD treatment for its 25,000 client organizations, which the organization identified in a news release as a strategic priority.
LifeWorks and Breaking Free will continue delivering support for Breaking Free’s existing clients, which include public health agencies, treatment providers, and correctional facilities in the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Breaking Free staff will join LifeWorks.
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