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Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Services for Opiate Use Disorder Continue to Grow at HealthFinders

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A few months ago, HealthFinders Collaborative (HFC) began offering Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opiate use disorder (OUD). Since that announcement, things have been going strong, and MAT service offerings continue to grow, thanks to support and collaboration with the Rice County Mobile Opioid Support Team (MOST) project. As of January, the HFC MAT clinic has seen 17 patients for a total of 43 appointments, with patients typically being seen within a week. HealthFinders is still accepting new patients and growing its ability to continue to see more patients in a timely manner. The MAT clinic, which is run by HealthFinders Director of Clinical Care and Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Emily Carroll, is held every Wednesday afternoon at HealthFinders’ Faribault location. Access to MAT is difficult – if not impossible – for many Minnesotans. Nationally, less than 5% of healthcare providers provide MAT, and fewer than 50% of Minnesota counties have access to buprenorphine prescribers.

Committed to Patient Care MAT is one option for treating OUD. Treatment with Methadone, Naloxone, or abstinence only programs are also options – and all patients seen at HFC are offered these options as well. Buprenorphine-based MAT, however, represents the best hope for long-term treatment of OUD and overdose prevention. HFC MAT patients are being seen in a mix of virtual and in-person visits. The government has given permission for healthcare providers to provide buprenorphine prescriptions via telemedicine as of March.  “People become addicted to opiates in the form of heroin or pain pills for many different reasons,” says Carroll. “Our priority is to support them in their recovery.”

Stronger TogetherOne of the greatest successes of MAT services at HFC stems from its partnership with Rice County MOST, a countywide coalition of agencies coming together to address opioid use. The project, supported through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services, is working to expand local options for MAT and provides community members recovery support and connection to resources. MOST and HFC MAT work together to ensure patients are given the resources needed for recovery. In rural areas, connecting all elements of successful treatment can be challenging, especially for patients who do not have a driver's license. MOST can arrange transportation for patients as well as a host of support services. The project provided HFC with start-up funds to train staff and equip the new clinic. Carroll explains that another strength of the program is HFC's ability to offer all of its services to patients. This means that HFC can – for instance – provide a MAT patient with dental care, help with MNSure applications, and provide a primary care appointment.

In fact, over half of HealthFinders’ MAT patients have accessed other HFC services.

Expanding Services to NorthfieldGiven the success of MAT at HealthFinders’ Faribault location, this month HFC will be adding MAT to its Northfield location. MAT services in Northfield will be administered by Registered Nurse and Certified Nurse Practitioner Jim Anway. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Anway will see patients virtually at first, with plans to resume in-person services when appropriate.

Supporting All Who Need It True to its mission, HFC is committed to providing MAT to patients who do not have insurance. MAT office visits are billed according to HealthFinders’ sliding scale fee. Purchasing Suboxone is expensive (between $50 and $250 per month). However, HealthFinders works with pharmacies and other agencies to help patients purchase this medication or find the lowest-cost prescription locally. HealthFinders also works with patients to help them apply for health insurance right away when possible.  While the organization typically sees only uninsured and patients with public-insurance plans, for the MAT clinic, HealthFinders will accept all types of insurance, committed to its decision to ensure that MAT is available to any resident of Rice County.

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