Signature Health

Signature Health Inc. (SHI) will expand its Mobile Clinic initiative and improve capacity for opioid use disorder (OUD) and substance use disorder (SUD) telehealth and home-based treatments. SUD and OUD screenings at community locations will be co-delivered with screening and testing for infectious diseases, impacting 525 individuals in rural Ashtabula County which is the largest county by area in Ohio, representing 8% of the Ohio population. The populations most impacted by the opioid epidemic are those that have low income or live in poverty, have a lack of transportation and access to medical care, veterans, and those currently experiencing SUD or OUD and need access to treatment. In 2021, 27 individuals in the County experienced an accidental overdose (23 involving fentanyl) and the number of responses to non-fatal overdoses increased by 39% from 2020 to 2021. The largest barrier to drug and alcohol treatment in Ashtabula County is transportation. Nine percent of County residents do not have a vehicle in their household (7.7% in Ohio) and nearly half (49.5%) of adult residents travel outside of the County for healthcare. Funding from HRSA's RCORPS - Overdose Response Program will support SHI's Mobile Clinic, providing resources to expand best practice harm reduction activities and access to treatment. Activities include prevention of overdose deaths by distributing naloxone and fentanyl test strips; providing education and resources in low population areas of the county; and offering infectious disease screening and testing. Activities supporting access to treatment include beginning and maintaining medication-assisted treatment (MAT) through accessible treatment including induction and ongoing treatment in patients' homes, Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) groups, a telehealth option for IOP, and expanded transportation options. Bringing help to where people live means that individuals can access the treatment they need without traveling outside of the County.