Much has been said about the stress and strain being placed on health care workers during the pandemic.
Through a new partnership being announced Monday morning, team members at six New Jersey health systems that make up the Healthcare Transformation Consortium can now access drug and alcohol addiction treatment at Recovery Centers of America inpatient and outpatient facilities nationwide at significantly reduced out-of-pocket cost.
Under the partnership, HTC team members and their families can now access all 10 Recovery Centers of America inpatient facilities nationwide, multiple outpatient facilities, which include three in New Jersey, and opioid treatment programs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania as a Tier 1 benefit, which carries the lowest patient financial responsibility and makes it equivalent to being treated at a facility in their own system.
In New Jersey, that includes inpatient/outpatient facilities in South Amboy and Mays Landing, an outpatient facility in Voorhees and standalone facilities in Trenton, Woodbridge and Somerdale.
The partnership involves more than 60,000 caregivers at 14 New Jersey hospitals in the six systems that make up the consortium:
- Atlantic Health (based in Morristown);
- CentraState (Freehold);
- Holy Name (Teaneck);
- Hunterdon Healthcare (Flemington);
- Saint Peter’s Healthcare System (New Brunswick);
- Virtua Health (Marlton).
The medical community has been among the hardest hit by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only are its members overwhelmed by extra responsibilities and hours, but they are often providing emotional support to severely ill or dying patients when family members and friends are not allowed to visit the hospital due to restrictions.
David Dorschu, CEO of Recovery Centers of America at Raritan Bay in South Amboy, said his team wants to help.
“Now, more than ever, medical professionals — who give their lives to caring for others — need us to take care of them,” he said. “We are partnering with HTC to eliminate any barriers to treatment and provide the coping skills our medical heroes need to achieve sustainable recovery and improve their overall health and wellness.”
HTC team members and their families suffering from alcohol or drug addiction will be able to receive a full spectrum of care, including:
- Medically monitored detoxification;
- Residential inpatient treatment;
- Partial hospitalization;
- Intensive outpatient services;
- General outpatient services;
- Medication-assisted treatment services;
- Office-based opioid treatment;
- Peer services and case management.
Most outpatient services are offered both in-person and virtually.
Antell Mitchell-James, director, total rewards and shared services at Atlantic Health System and chair of the HTC Employee Health and Wellness Committee, said providing additional assistance is the right thing to do.
“Throughout the pandemic, our health care heroes have never shied away from rising to the challenge of delivering high-quality care for our communities,” Mitchell-James said. “But, they and their families are not immune from the same illnesses and conditions that affect the communities in which they live, including addiction. We are honored to work with Recovery Centers of America on this partnership, which will provide important treatment at a time of need.”
Corey Richey, the CEO of Recovery Centers of America at Lighthouse in Mays Landing, agreed.
“Addiction does not discriminate,” she said. “Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals and their families are as vulnerable as any population, a situation worsened by the extraordinary stress and anxiety they’ve experienced during the pandemic.
“We are proud to provide HTC employees and their families with the best personalized care and treatment options — just like the individual hospitals do for their own patients.”
