Treatment Breakthrough: The ER Addiction Stabilization Unit
In June 2017, Dr. Belma Andric, Chief Medical Officer of the Health District of Palm Beach County, Florida, joined Greg on the Cover2 podcast. She shared a unique pilot program that started Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for overdose victims right in the emergency room (ER). Unlike previous MAT addiction programs, the pilot program included 8 days of house calls to deliver medication and monitor patient progress.
The success of that program inspired a new treatment initiative in Palm Beach County, an ER Addiction Stabilization Unit (ASU) specially designed for those struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). Since its inception, the ASU has treated over 350 patients. Similar to regional centers of excellence that address conditions such as heart, stroke, or cancer care, Palm Beach County now has the first center for evidence-based addiction care.
Just two weeks after the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening the ASU, Greg met with Dr. Andric and her team. Together, they introduced this ground-breaking program that, through a public-private partnership, leading the way in overdose treatment, life-long addiction care, and reducing the stigma surrounding addiction and addiction treatment.
Join us on this week’s podcast as Dr. Andric and her team share how they helped create the first ASU in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Dr. Belma Andric
Belma Andric, MD, MPH is the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President and Executive Director of Clinic Services of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, a diverse public health care system. Dr. Andric is responsible for quality and patient safety across the system and supervises the District’s Quality and Patient Safety departments, with indirect oversight of the District’s other physician leaders.
Dr. Andri? is also responsible for the overall medical, administrative and regulatory leadership of the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, the Health Care District’s Federally Qualified Health Centers. Over 46,000 clinic patients received primary, dental and behavioral health services last year. Additionally, Dr. Andric oversees operations of the Palm Beach County Trauma System, Trauma Agency, Aeromedical Program and Pharmacy Program. She serves as Chair of the Trauma Quality Improvement Committee for Palm Beach County and is a member of the county’s Sober Home Task Force and EMS Council.
In 2020, Dr. Andric was instrumental in the successful rollout of the county’s first-of-its-kind Addiction Stabilization Unit, a specialized emergency facility designed to curb the opioid epidemic. She played a key role in implementing and expanding a successful Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program for patients with substance use disorders. The Palm Beach County Medical Society recognized her as a Physician Hero in Medicine in 2019. Her leadership resulted in the Heath Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) honoring the clinics in 2019 as a gold-level Health Center Quality Leader (ranking among the top 10% of health centers nationally for clinical quality), Access Enhancer and Health Disparities Reducer. In 2018, Dr. Andric oversaw the launch of a mobile health clinic that provides medical and behavioral health services for the county’s homeless. Dr. Andri? was honored in 2017 when the American Cancer Society’s National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT) recognized the clinics’ innovative approach in achieving a colorectal cancer-screening rate that is twice the national average for community clinics. Dr. Andri? played a key role in the clinics receiving NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition in 2016.
Dr. Andric joined the Health Care District in 2013 after serving as the Medical Director of the Lantana Health Center for the Palm Beach County Health Department since 2009. She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from College of Medicine, University of Novi Sad in Serbia. Dr. Andric received her residency training in Preventive Medicine/Public Health from the Palm Beach County Health Department as well as residency training in Surgery from Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. Dr. Andri? is board certified in Preventive Medicine and earned a Master of Public Health from Florida International University.
Dr. Courtney Rowling
Courtney Rowling, M.D., is a board certified psychiatrist with extensive experience in Addiction Psychiatry. She is the Director of Behavioral Health for the Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics (Federally Qualified Health Centers) in Florida and oversees behavioral health as well as the Medication Assisted Treatment program. Within general psychiatry, Dr. Rowling worked in many settings including inpatient, outpatient, consults, psychiatric emergency medicine, community mental health, psychotherapy, and integrated care. With substance use disorders, she has experience with Medication Assisted Treatment for alcohol and opioid use disorders (including buprenorphine maintenance, methadone, and naltrexone), detoxification, dual diagnosis, and abstinence- based treatment.
Dr. Rowling attended medical school at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. She completed her internship and residency in general adult psychiatry at the University of Michigan Health System/VA Ann Arbor. Dr. Rowling is certified in General Adult Psychiatry (ABPN) and is Board eligible for addiction medicine. She is a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, and the American Psychiatric Association. Her areas of professional interest include dual diagnosis, Medication Assisted Treatment, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, and integrative care.
The Brumback Clinics provide medical and dental care for adult and pediatric patients with or without insurance at nine locations throughout Palm Beach County. The Brumback Clinics also operate a technologically-advanced Mobile Health Clinic staffed by a team that delivers medical and behavioral health services to the county’s chronically homeless and other underserved adult patients.
Dr. Ana Ferwerda
Ana Ferwerda, MD serves as the Medical Director of the ten C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers owned and operated by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. Dr. Ferwerda joined the Health Care District in 2016 and developed the OB/GYN program. She served as Director of Women’s Health and was instrumental in increasing access to Women’s Health Services for the C. L. Brumback patients.
Dr. Ferwerda earned her Doctor of Medicine from Ponce Health Sciences University in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She completed her residency at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, PA where she served as Chief Resident in her final year. Before moving to Florida, she practiced general OB/GYN at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, OH and was an instructor for Case Western Reserve University.
Dr. Ferwerda is a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Medical Association, the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists and the Florida Medical Association. Her areas of interest include disparities surrounding contraception and sterilization, improving access to prenatal care and patient-centered quality of care. She is committed to providing every patient the highest quality of care.
The Brumback Clinics provide medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health services for adult and pediatric patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and offer a sliding fee scale. A Mobile Health Clinic provides medical care and behavioral health services to the homeless and underserved patients. The Brumback Clinics also provide a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program for patients with substance use disorders and play a lead role in the county’s new and innovative Addiction Stabilization Center. Over 46,000 clinic patients across the county received care at the clinics last year.
Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Ferwerda and the medical team, the Brumback Clinics were honored in 2019 as a gold-level Health Center Quality Leader, ranked among the top 10% of health centers nationally for clinical quality. In 2017, the Brumback Clinics received an “80% by 2018 National Achievement Award” from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT) for achieving a colorectal cancer-screening rate that is twice the national average for community clinics and one of the highest in the country. In 2016, the clinics received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition.
Dr. Ingrid Barlett
Ingrid Barlett serves as a Behavioral Health Coordinator with the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers owned and operated by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. Ms. Barlett initially served as a member of a successful pilot project that provided substance users who overdosed access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). She is currently part of a team of psychiatrists, primary care physicians and counselors specialized in treating addiction and other licensed professionals. The MAT Program for patients with substance abuse disorders combines the administration of FDA-approved medication along with psychiatric services, individual and group therapy, individualized care coordination and links to other health and social services to help restore patients’ overall health and lives. The Brumback Clinics throughout the county provide medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health services for adult and pediatric patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and offer a sliding fee scale.
Ms. Barlett joined the Health Care District in 2013 as a Registration Specialist in the Lantana Clinic. She advanced to a newly created position of Patient Navigator where she played a key role in implementing and executing a program that facilitated colorectal cancer screenings. Thanks in large part to her efforts, the Brumback Clinics increased the colorectal cancer-screening rate among age-eligible patients from 37% in 2014 to 75% in 2016. Her work resulted in the Brumback Clinics being recognized by the American Cancer Society’s National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable as an honoree recipient of the 2017 “80% by 2018” National Achievement Awards for having one of the highest screening rates among community health centers in the country.
Ms. Barlett was born in Slovakia, formerly Czechoslovakia, where she graduated with a Master of Science in Banking and Investment. Her passion for health care flourished when she worked as a registration specialist with the Florida Department of Health. Ms. Barlett has dedicated herself to her career helping patients access the care and resources they need to heal and stay healthy.
Elaine Esplin
Elaine Esplin, LCSW, CAP serves as an Addiction Counselor with the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers owned and operated by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. Ms. Esplin joined the Health Care District in 2013 as part of an integrated medical and behavioral health model of care. In 2017, in response to the county’s opioid epidemic, Ms. Esplin served as a member of a pilot project that provided substance users who overdosed access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). Ms. Esplin is continuing on the success of that evidence-based program, providing care to patients with substance use disorders by treating the whole patient to stop the cycle of repeat overdoses. She is part of a team of psychiatrists, primary care physicians and counselors specialized in treating addiction. MAT services include medication-assisted treatment (Buprenorphine, Naltrexone and Vivitrol), individual and group therapy, psychiatric services, individualized care coordination, pharmacy services and links to other health and social service resources.
Ms. Esplin received her Bachelors of Social Work from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. As a young social worker in Toronto, she was witness to the AIDS epidemic, which at that time was claiming lives daily. Ms. Esplin was involved with the formation of the AIDS committee of Toronto and began a career helping those infected and affected with HIV and AIDS. Ms. Esplin earned her Master of Science at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She was trained at Hazelden in addictions and she is a Certified Addictions Professional. Her passion is to help those underserved receive needed treatment.
The Brumback Clinics provide medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health services for adult and pediatric patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and offer a sliding fee scale. The Brumback Clinics played a lead role in the county’s new and innovative Addiction Stabilization Center. A Mobile Health Clinic provides medical care and behavioral health services to the homeless and underserved patients.
Calaisa Olivier
Calalisa Olivier, LPN is an MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) Nurse at the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics in West Palm Beach. The Brumback Clinics are Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC’s) that provide medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health services for adult and pediatric patients, regardless of their ability to pay, and offer a sliding fee scale. Ms. Olivier joined the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, which owns and operates the Brumback Clinics, in 2017 when the MAT pilot program was launched. Following the success of the program, she continued as a member of the MAT Program’s team of psychiatrists, primary care physicians, counselors specialized in treating addiction. The MAT Program for patients with substance abuse disorders combines the administration of FDA-approved medication along with psychiatric services, individual and group therapy, individualized care coordination and links to other health and social services to help restore patients’ overall health and lives.
Ms. Olivier is currently pursuing her RN degree at Palm Beach State College while working full-time. She has worked in the field of substance use disorder treatment for the past decade. She has a passion for the behavioral health field and thrives on helping patients with mental health or addiction issues.
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