Alcoholism Awareness Month: The Prevalent Dangers of Alcohol Misuse
Though alcohol consumption is considered more socially acceptable than the use of narcotics like cocaine or heroin, drinking is far from harmless. Alcohol can pose detrimental health and safety risks. According to the CDC, excessive drinking is the cause for more than 140,000 deaths each year in the United States. In acknowledgement of April being ...
Get to Know Kristin Nolan, Chief Behavioral Health Officer
Having started as a clinician in 2000, Kristin Nolan has deep roots with Spectrum Health Systems. Early on, she found the clinical work rewarding, but over time she began to feel like she could have a broader impact in the addiction treatment field by focusing her efforts on the operations side of things. Now serving ...
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, ...
