Program marks another year of helping patients with substance-use disorders

Opioid addiction has been in the news lately, but Project ASSERT has been helping patients with opioid and other types of substance-use disorders for more than 18 years. In April, Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale School of Medicine celebrated another successful year of helping these patients access the treatment they need by connecting them with community-based alcohol- and drug-treatment services. Since the program began, health promotion advocates (HPAs) in the emergency departments at both YNHH campuses have screened more than 50,000 patients. Project ASSERT’s unique approach includes screening, a brief intervention and direct referral to specialized care – all while patients are in the ED. Among those at the celebration were (l-r): HPAs Shevonne Mack, Amanda Lewis and Gregory Johnson; Gail D’Onofrio, MD, chief, Emergency Medicine, YNHH and chair of Emergency Medicine,Yale School of Medicine; HPA Damaris Navarro; and Caitlin Malicki, research associate, Yale School of Medicine.