Dubois Regional Medical Center

Opioid Use Disorders/Substance Abuse Services and Interventions (OSSI) is the collaborative work of four rural health care agencies, aimed to end opioid misuse, overdose and deaths. Over the past three years Penn Highlands DuBois (PHD), Clearfield-Jefferson Drug & Alcohol Commission (CJDAC), Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (ADAS), and AmServ Ltd. DuSan Ambulance Service (DuSan) have documented hundreds of case management referrals, used imbedded case managers, and provided behavioral health and treatment services to reduce overdose deaths. Despite the enhanced improvement in referrals, there continue to be gaps in services that result in opioid misuse. With the entry of Covid-19 into a growing health care crisis, the social determinants of health, quickly rose as a leading factor in the growing opioid and substance abuse overdose and death rates. The collaborative has identified strategies using elements of the five-point strategy to end opioid misuse, overdose, and deaths. Penn Highlands DuBois will serve as the applicant in a collaborative consisting of the CJDAC, ADAS, and DuSan to implement activities to reduce gaps in opioid services.