Healthcare Network launches Primary Care Addiction Treatment (PCAT)
The Floridant/10292508

NAPLES, Fla. - Floridant -- Healthcare Network has launched Primary Care Addiction Treatment (PCAT), expanding access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for substance use disorders to its primary care setting.

The program includes screening and assessment, treatment planning, monitoring and care coordination, along with counseling and behavioral therapies, providing a whole patient approach to treatment. The goal of the program is to provide access to this essential treatment in a setting without the stigma linked to specialized addiction treatment centers. This will help patients with substance use disorders to decrease usage, mitigate adverse behaviors and enhance  quality of life for them and their families.

"We hope to enhance outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders by delivering timely, comprehensive and integrated care within the primary care setting," said Dr. Jaime Khemraj, Healthcare Network's chief medical officer. "The program is part of our mission to make health care accessible to all, particularly in underserved communities with limited resources and availability of care."

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MAT uses medications, along with counseling and behavioral therapies, to help people addicted to opioids and other substances. Healthcare Network's program will include buprenorphine, which reduces cravings and controls withdrawal symptoms, or naltrexone, which is an opioid blocker, preventing opioids from affecting the body.

The program is available for adults aged 18 and over with a diagnosis of alcohol, substance or opioid use disorders.

Healthcare Network also contracts with Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, a managing entity for the Collier Coordinated Opioid Response (CORE) team. The Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network is the first of its kind in the U.S. and places Florida as a leader in sustainable addiction recovery. CORE has been active in 12 Florida counties since 2022, with expansion to an additional 17 counties in 2024.

Healthcare Network's team for the PCAT program funded through CORE partners includes a part-time MAT director, full-time program coordinator, full-time nurse care manager, and a part-time behavioral health/substance use disorder specialist. During recovery, Healthcare Network patients will have access to dental care, primary care, psychiatric evaluation, maternal care and social support services. Social support services address career training, housing, financial strain or food insecurity through a patient care fund to help address barriers.

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For information about the program, visit HealthcareSWFL.org/PCAT (https://healthcareswfl.org/primary-care-addiction-program/) or call 239-658-3000.