UnityPoint Health announced Wednesday that it has been awarded a $1.68 million grant through the Illinois Department of Human Services to help with the treatment of opioid use disorders.
The two year grant is part of the State Opioid Response Hospital Screening and Warm Handoff Project.
“We couldn’t be more excited to receive this grant and about what it will do for the people who need this type of care. This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to be a behavioral health care and substance abuse treatment leader in Central Illinois,” says Dr. Keith Knepp, Regional CEO, UnityPoint Health.
It is estimated that 250,000 people in Illinois have an opioid use disorder.
Opioid related overdose deaths increased 300 percent from 1999-2016, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The project helps fight the opioid issue by supporting hospital based programs that include evidence based screenings, brief intervention, and referral to treatment with warm handoff services.
As a part of the project, 24/7 assessments and referral services will be provided within the hospital. More than 40 physicians and providers will be authorized under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act to prescribe buprenorphine if needed.
UnityPoint Health is one of eight hospitals to receive funds.
