(Anderson, S.C. – January 29, 2020) - When a drug or an alcohol-addicted patient is brought to the ED, the staff will offer the services of FAVOR. "The goal is to reach out to the patient [and] offer to work with them as they travel the road of becoming clean from drugs or alcohol," said AnMed Vice President of Community Health Partnerships Michael Cunningham.
"The engagement means inpatient care, counseling the patient and their family, or just listening and talking." Traditionally, when someone comes into the ED with a substance abuse problem, the access center works to find resources. The patient typically stays in the ED until some resources are found. The new partnership allows a clinician to call FAVOR when patients suffering from an overdose come into the ED. FAVOR responds within 30 minutes, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. A FAVOR peer counselor explains the program to the patient and asks if they’d like to enroll in the program.
"Our clinical staff feels more confident patients will achieve recovery knowing that the FAVOR coaches are out there helping navigate the treacherous path to sobriety," said AnMed Director of Emergency Services David Allan. A FAVOR recovery coach is committed to working with the patient for at least a year to help them get stabilized for long-term recovery as an accountability partner who is available to meet wherever and whenever.
"The response to FAVOR by the ED and care coordination staff has been very favorable," said Shelley Stone, AnMed, interim director of Care Coordination. "From October 15 - November 26 there were 47 referrals from the ED and 38 actively enrolled in the program," Stone said.
