At the start of the opioid epidemic in the early 2000s, St. Joseph Healthcare began treating substance use disorder as part of a patient’s primary care. The goal was to bring this issue to the forefront of care and address the stigma it’s often associated with. During the height of the COVID-19 crisis, Miki McDonald, NP, took the initiative to expand this program. Today, our Substance Use Disorder Program serves people throughout the state. The program’s staff is a multidisciplinary team that views substance use disorder as a chronic disease to be treated with medication, a supportive community network and a focus on treating patients like people, not addicts.
Check out the rest of our 2023 Annual Report.