May 17th, 2018 by WCBC Radio

The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) is committed to advancing statewide efforts to address the opioid crisis.  The MHCC announced the award of a grant to expand access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) through telehealth. The award was in response to a competitive grant announcement released in January 2018.  The grant will operate May 2018 through November 2019.  Funding for the project is approximately $346,000. 

 

The grantee, Mosaic Community Services, Inc., in collaboration with the Montgomery County Core Service Agency, plans to use telehealth technology to connect a Baltimore area prescriber to a new treatment facility located in Montgomery County, where there is currently a shortage of prescribers.  The project aims to increase access to MAT, an evidence-based form of addiction treatment, by providing telehealth services, establishing telehealth protocols for addiction treatment providers, and encouraging primary care providers to become certified to provide MAT through the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Increasing access to MAT is intended to improve retention of clients receiving treatment and reduce the occurrence of relapses.