Oct 31, 2016 4 min read

While not commonplace, drug overdoses occur on hospital campuses.

The phenomenon of patients overdosing in their rooms and visitors overdosing while checking on loved ones is not unprecedented.

“The last several years, (staff members) have had to face situations they just haven’t had to face in the past,” said Washington Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Gary B. Weinstein. “It’s been unsettling.”

“Staff is hungry for information and they want to do the right things for the patients and their families. It’s not always easy. These are stressful situations.”

A mandate handed down by the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to incorporate protocol for overdose survivors is strengthening the relationship between Washington Drug & Alcohol Commission and the hospital. As a result, medical staff receive training in effective treatment for those who have overdosed, and can depend on the expertise of on-site professionals.

As of June, two full-time commission staff members are stationed at the hospital, ready to assist those who are in need of rehabilitative services. A case manager and certified recovery specialist are present Monday through Friday and are on-call after hours and on weekends. Case workers evaluate the patients identified as potentially having a substance abuse disorder and coordinate rehabilitative care. Recovery specialists, who are in the recovery process themselves, provide peer support.

“Maybe that person is resistant, and doesn’t think they need to go to treatment or get assistance. Many times, the recovery person can engage them and tell their stories,” said Cheryl Andrews, executive director of the commission. “Individuals seem to respond to that peer-to-peer engagement.”

The goal, said Andrews, is to take the patient directly from the hospital to a treatment facility. If that doesn’t happen, the commission provides interim services until full-time rehabilitation is available.

From August 2015 to August 2016, Washington County 911 received about 450 overdose-related calls – the vast majority of those from Washington and surrounding townships. Therefore, Washington Hospital was an ideal place to implement the program, Andrews said. The commission, which funds the program from itsstate-alotted budget, plans to establish similar programs at Canonsburg and Monongahela Valley hospitals.

Often, patients who survive overdoses are reluctant to go to the hospital, said Andrews. They are in withdrawal and afraid of legal repercussions. Training emergency responders and hospital staff to make the patient feel more at ease will hopefully lead to more people seeking help, she said.

“If we could just get them to the hospital, they can see there’s help on the other end,” Andrews said.

“And it’s good for family members because they can sometimes get their loved ones to go to the emergency room. Going to a hospital where you can be welcomed, I think is huge. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to keep their loved one in the hospital, but they’ll make a connection to move their loved one along in recovery.”

Andrews said Washington Hospital has been a committed partner.

“Everyone can’t be experts in everything. The staff wants results and want to know they can rely on us to take care of substance abuse disorder needs,” she said. “For doctors, we are a referral service. We are the missing link.”

Before this program was in place, a priority of the emergency department, said Weinstein, was to figure out a way to change the pattern of a patient coming to the hospital for medical treatment, getting that treatment, then going back into the community and using again.

“We can’t solve the problem, but we need to be a good citizen of the community,” he said. “To help address this problem, we want to do everything we can.”