To address the growing national opioid addiction crisis, health services provider Optum and CleanSlate Centers will expand access to effective, physician-led addiction treatment options for Optum members.
Optum members now have access to CleanSlate's multistate network of 15 physician-led outpatient addiction treatment centers in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Indiana. CleanSlate provides medication-assisted treatment and related therapies for patients who have addiction and associated disorders using high-quality, evidence-based practices to give patients the tools and support they need to achieve long-term success.
For a list of participating CleanSlate facilities, visit http://cleanslatecenters.com/location/.
"Opioid addiction is a life-threatening disease, with the rate of unintentional overdose quadrupling since 1999. Evidence-based approaches that combine medicine, accountability and supportive counseling are the best way to treat people with opioid and alcohol-use disorders," said Martin Rosenzweig, M.D., senior medical director of Optum. "CleanSlate's substance treatment is rooted in these principles and supports positive patient outcomes, while reducing costs."
"Optum recognized that CleanSlate has the ability to expand access to communities where their members are in need of effective treatment," said Greg Marotta, president and CEO of CleanSlate Centers. "The best way to fight these chronic brain diseases is by working together. With Optum, we will expand care and give people hope and the ability to achieve the lives they want and deserve."
Overdose deaths due to opioids, which include prescription pain relievers and heroin, are responsible for more deaths than car accidents and firearms, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with more than 47,000 lethal drug overdoses in 2014. Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with nearly 19,000 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and more than 10,500 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2014.1 The number of drug overdoses has climbed more than 50 percent in the past decade.
Opioid addiction is defined as a primary, chronic and relapsing brain disease, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) – the nation's leading addiction medicine society representing 3,700 physicians, clinicians and other professionals.
About CleanSlate Centers
CleanSlate Centers was founded in 2009 in response to the growing opioid epidemic facing the country. A multi-state network of 15 physician-led outpatient addiction treatment centers, CleanSlate provides medication-assisted treatment and related therapies for patients who have addiction and associated disorders using the highest quality, evidence-based practices.
CleanSlate's proven model of individualized care gives patients the tools and support they need to achieve long-term success. In recognition of their innovation and effectiveness, CleanSlate's treatment programs received the inaugural 2012 Science and Service Award for Office-based Opioid Treatment by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA).
In 2014 CleanSlate partnered with Apple Tree Partners, a growth equity fund, to help expand efforts geographically and increase access to care in underserved communities with demonstrated need. For more information, visit CleanSlateCenters.com.
About Optum
Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. With more than 100,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve overall population health. Optum is part of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH). For more information, visit www.Optum.com.
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