On the forefront of innovating community health and addressing issues that impact the wellbeing of community members, HealthFinders Collaborative (HFC) now offers buprenorphine-based Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opiate addiction.
HealthFinders Director of Clinical Care and Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Emily Carroll, has received special training to provide MAT for opiate addiction.
HFC closely partners with and serves an important role in the Rice County Mobile Opioid Support Team, a collaborative project to connect patients to much-needed resources to support themselves and their families in recovery. As a result of its role in offering MAT, HealthFinders hopes to significantly expand access to MAT with buprenorphine.
“HealthFinders is dedicated to providing care that can otherwise be difficult to access,” says Emily. “MAT has been shown to save lives by reducing deaths from overdose, and we are committed to expanding access to this potentially life-saving medication to Rice County. For many people, buprenorphine is the best hope for recovery from heroin or other opiate addiction.”
In addition to the actual MAT clinic, HFC can connect patients to advocacy appointments to apply for insurance, primary medical care, and dental care.
“We are working hard to create a welcoming environment for individuals who may face stigma and obstacles in other settings,” Emily adds. “Additionally, our sliding scale fee model and interpreting services allow us to offer this treatment to individuals regardless of their insurance status and in a culturally effective context as well.” Emily explains that MAT with buprenorphine is often the best hope for treatment of opiate addiction. However, if can be difficult, if not impossible, for many Minnesotans to access. Fewer than half of Minnesota counties have a MAT program, and patients face multiple barriers to accessing treatment.
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