UH Portage, MHRB Receive State Grant for Opioid, Alcohol Addiction Treatment

University Hospitals Portage Medical Center, 6847 N. Chestnut Street, Ravenna, and the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County are the joint recipients of a $250,000 grant from the State of Ohio for treatment of patients with substance use disorder. The one-year grant helps cover the cost of UH Addiction Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) for residents of 12 counties.

MAT is an inpatient, medically supervised alcohol and opioid withdrawal and treatment program.

Program Manager Renee Klaric notes that addiction MAT at UH Portage is the only treatment of its kind in Portage County. “We treat addiction medically as a chronic disease,” she explains. “Following withdrawal and medical stabilization, people have the option of abstinence or continuing their treatment with medications such as Suboxone and Naltrexone.” MAT also is available at UH Geauga Medical Center in Geauga County, 13207 Ravenna Rd., Chardon.

UH Addiction Medically Assisted Treatment is integral to the Mental Health & Recovery Board’s strategy for managing the opioid crisis, says the Board’s Executive Director Joel Mowrey, PhD.

“We understand the devastation caused by substance use disorders to many families here in Portage County. The partnership created by this grant between the Board, University Hospitals Portage Medical Center and the state will help us meet the growing demand for substance use disorder services and help individuals overcome the financial barrier to receiving the treatment they need,” Mowrey said.

Results for the UH program, Klaric notes, are better than national outcomes, reported as the percentage of patients who engage in treatment after discharge.

Residents of Portage, Ashland, Carroll, Columbiana, Holmes, Mahoning, Medina, Richland, Stark, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties are eligible to receive financial assistance under the grant for up to five days of inpatient treatment for a maximum of $2,800 per patient. Funds from the grant are available through June 30, 2019.

For more information about addiction treatment services in Portage County call the Addiction Helpline 24/7 at 330-678-3006. To learn more about MAT at UH Portage Medical Center call 844-541-2087 or for MAT at UH Geauga Medical Center call 440-214-3106.