The Shifting Landscape of Telehealth Addiction Treatment
As the United States government searches for leverage in the battle against the opioid epidemic, several recent developments have altered the way medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine, can be prescribed. While some of these changes have increased accessibility to buprenorphine, others threaten to hinder access. With opioid overdoses continuing at a ...
Improving Outcomes for Pregnant People with Substance Use Disorders
When someone with a substance use disorder becomes pregnant, their circumstances can become complicated. They may be faced with decisions that they hadn’t anticipated, and the road ahead could be lined with physical and emotional challenges. But as with any other population, pregnant people have a right to recovery. And, despite the stigma and added ...
Acknowledging Health Equity Pioneers
In observance of Black History Month, Spectrum Health Systems is honoring some of the people who have improved access to care and worked to address treatment disparities affecting the Black community. Just as the Black community has faced economic and educational injustices, it has also faced healthcare inequalities. In the time of Jim Crow segregation, ...
Nicole Orlando Smith Discusses Her Return to Spectrum
Nicole Orlando Smith applied for a role at Spectrum Health Systems on a whim in 2014. She had comprehensive experience working in mental health—addressing issues like depression and anxiety after earning a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling with a focus on trauma—but she had no direct experience in addiction recovery. “I was very green, ...
The White House Hopes to Curb Overdoses by Unveiling New Dashboard
Last month, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy unveiled a new data dashboard in partnership with the National Highway Safety Administration to track non-fatal opioid overdoses. The dashboard uses a map to display Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data collected in each state and U.S. territory. The effort is aligned with President Biden’s ...
A Letter from Our President: Kurt Isaacson Reflects on 2022
2022 was an interesting year in healthcare. With much of the world finding its footing in the ‘new normal,’ providers were hard at work continuing to keep clients and patients safe while deciding which pandemic-era policies and practices were here to stay, and which could be discontinued. This was no easy feat, and the entire ...
