New York, NY -UNS:NYC Health + Hospitals today released the seventh episode of season 2 of its podcast, The Remedy, featuring leaders and health care providers from the nation’s largest municipal health care system. Season 2 Episode 7: No Wrong Door: Addiction Care in NYC covers how NYC Health + Hospitals is treating substance use disorder with a comprehensive approach—whether someone walks into an emergency room, seeks help at a methadone clinic, or connects through community outreach. In this episode, host Dr. Michael Shen is joined by Dr. Dan Schatz, Medical Director of Addiction Services for NYC Health + Hospitals, and Sasha Ashton, Director of Addiction Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County in Brooklyn. They discuss the devastating rise of fentanyl in the drug supply, the role of peer support in recovery, and how stigma continues to prevent many New Yorkers from seeking care. Ashton and Dr. Schatz also talk about the importance of offering flexible, harm reduction-based treatment options, from walk-in care and bridge clinics to sober social spaces that include dance parties. The episode also highlights innovative programs that support pregnant and postpartum patients, and the upcoming RISE Center in the South Bronx, which will offer integrated services for families impacted by addiction. Season 2 of The Remedy includes seven episodes focused on frontline workers who often provide care outside the walls of public hospitals and health centers, with a new episode released every two weeks. Season 2 Episode 7: No Wrong Door: Addiction Care in NYC is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio and other podcast platforms.
“It’s not just the treatment you receive, it’s how you’re treated that can make the difference to engage someone in addiction care,” said The Remedy Host Dr. Michael Shen. “NYC Health + Hospitals is on the forefront of treating addiction, having treated thousands of patients experiencing addiction with compassion and evidence-based care.”
“We want to be there for patients experiencing addiction however we can – whether that’s medication-assisted treatment or harm reduction,” said Dr. Dan Schatz, Medical Director of Addiction Services for NYC Health + Hospitals. “And we want to engage patients wherever they interact with our system. For instance, all of our hospital emergency departments have social workers and peers to engage patients who come in with addiction-related health issues. We can’t just launch into a medication-based model, we need to earn their trust and earn their time. What do they need? What can we help with right now? Together, we can engage our patients in the care they deserve, help them be safe, and even begin to rebuild bridges with their loved ones.”
“The Kings County outpatient addiction program is dynamic and we have been able to inspire a village of professionals who are interested in building trust and building community to help our patients heal, transform, and reinvent themselves,” said Sasha Ashton, Director of Addiction Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. “Our rich staffing model meets the needs of diverse patients who utilize, creative arts, spiritual care, mental health treatment, social determinants of health assistance and many other services. To add, our patient satisfaction events are top tier to include sober socialization parties, karaoke, dancing and musical instruments.”
NYC Health + Hospitals’ role as a public hospital system and the major safety net health care system for New York City offers a singular voice that no other health care podcast can. It shows how the public health care system provides care for all patients, regardless of their ability to pay; offers exciting ways to support patients, including dance and music therapy and support navigating benefits; and responds to the challenges that face New York City, including homelessness, gun violence, and the asylum seeker crisis. The host and guests are all health care system employees with a special perspective on the work they do for patients.
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest provider of behavioral health in New York City. The system provides almost 60% of behavioral health services citywide serving 78,000 patients annually across emergency, inpatient and outpatient care. Substance use services include 10 outpatient substance use disorder clinics, four ancillary withdrawal programs, and four Opioid Treatment Programs.
