OSF Saint Anthony’s introduces service to fight substance abuse disorder

Inpatient medical stabilization & withdrawal management for adults with drug, alcohol, or related health issues

On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center began offering medical detoxification services to help Riverbend region residents overcome withdrawal symptoms from drug and alcohol addictions through the New Vision withdrawal management service.

Since 1992, New Vision, a wholly-owned program provided by St. Charles, Mo.-based SpecialCare Hospital Management, has treated more than 400,000 patients at locations across the United States by offering inpatient medical stabilization services for adults with drug, alcohol or related health issues. The service accepts adults 18 and older who are currently using or are experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms from certain drugs.

“Substance use is rarely an ‘at home’ problem and can affect every aspect of the person’s life, including school, community, and work,” says Jerry Rumph, president, OSF Saint Anthony’s. “Substance use disorder is a health issue, not a personal choice.”

The service accepts appropriate adults, who are in active or impending withdrawal from certain drugs. The treatment consists of a medically supervised hospital stay for inpatient stabilization that typically lasts 3 to 5 days. The inpatient stay includes the following aspects:

• Pre-Screening
• Assessment
• Admission
• Medical Stabilization
• Appropriate Discharge Planning

“The New Vision service is intended to help medically treat individuals who are experiencing withdrawal issues from drugs and alcohol, so that they can begin their path to recovery,” says Melissa Parson, BS, MRSS, New Vision administrator. “Unfortunately, far too many people are hesitant to go to the hospital for help because they fear the symptoms of withdrawal during detoxification. Additionally, abruptly ceasing alcohol or drug use can be dangerous.”

Once the inpatient stabilization phase is complete, each patient is referred to an appropriate outpatient service or rehabilitation program for further treatment as deemed necessary.

The program at OSF Saint Anthony’s is able to provide a safe medical stabilization setting for those dependent on:

• Alcohol
• Benzodiazepines (like Valium or Xanax)
• Opioids (like Heroin or OxyContin)
• Methamphetamine
• Cocaine
• Combined Substances
• Prescription Medications

Through New Vision services, OSF Saint Anthony’s offer patients a fully qualified treatment team that includes:

• On-site intake coordinator
• Attending physician
• Nursing personnel

The medical treatment team will utilize a multidisciplinary team approach to ensure that each person receives the attention necessary for safe medical stabilization in the hospital.

Upon admission to the hospital for medical stabilization, assessments of the patient’s fundamental needs are conducted. These assessments include a medical history, physical, a complete laboratory workup and a nursing assessment. This pre-screening process will enable the patient to be admitted alongside a personalized plan for treatment.

Patients who are under the influence of chemical substances, and are considered medically unstable, will be closely observed and stabilized. New Vision accepts patients who are experiencing withdrawal symptoms from cessation of use of certain substances, in conjunction with other related health issues.

Additionally, according to Rumph, this service is being offered in alignment with the hospital’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) that identified, in part, that CHNA survey respondents rated drug abuse (illegal) as the most prevalent unhealthy behavior (24%) in Madison County. “Just like millions of people across the county, residents right here in Madison County struggle with substance use disorder.”

The diagnosis of need for inpatient admission can only be made by a licensed physician. The New Vision service accepts most insurance plans.

More information on the New Vision program at OSF Saint Anthony’s can be obtained by calling (618) 358-0200.