From staff reports

Avera Health is the first member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s Patient Care Network, which the foundation calls the first of its kind in the addiction treatment industry.

“The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation has a long history and culture of knowledge-sharing with individuals and organizations, and we are pleased to have a leading-edge provider like Avera Health as the first member of this important new initiative,” said Bob Poznanovich, the executive director of business development for the national nonprofit addiction treatment provider.

Members of the network can access tools, resources and collaborative consultation. The network is especially timely as the nation’s opioid crisis places added pressure on hospital systems, treatment providers for substance use disorders, primary acute mental health providers and other specialty providers across the country.

“Avera Health and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation have had a longstanding relationship, and we are looking forward to a fruitful new collaboration to meet the increasingly complex needs of our substance use disorder patients,” said Dr. Matthew Stanley, vice president of the clinical service line for Avera Behavioral Health. “Working together like this will enable us to address the pressing requirements of our community and patients in a more strategic and effective way.”

The network also will allow Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation patients to connect more easily with other care providers throughout the country after leaving the foundation’s treatment programs. Long-term engagement with care is a key aspect of improved outcomes for patients with substance use disorders, Poznanovich said.

“Our experience, knowledge and expertise uniquely position us as a center of excellence to create wide clinical alliances and share our expertise with other innovative health care systems like Avera,” he said.

“This exciting program allows us to team up to help more people and better meet the needs of today’s changing health care world. It builds on our position as a leader in the industry by taking the best of what we do and who we are and sharing it with like-minded organizations that have the same philosophy and commitment to treating patients and improving treatment outcomes.”