The MATTERS Network has partnered with Best Self Behavioral Health, University at Buffalo’s Addiction Medicine, and the Value Network on the Medication Assisted Treatment-Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction (MAT-PDOA) grant. This grant will go towards developing a 24/7 hotline for rapid access to prescription drug and opioid use disorder treatment for individuals in Western New York. Patients need only call the hotline number to be connected to an on-call medical provider through UBMD Emergency Telemedicine or University at Buffalo Addiction Medicine to be evaluated for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and provided a New York MATTERS referral to outpatient treatment.
This 24/7 hotline will be staffed with Care Coordinators, Program Assistants and other on-call team members from Best Self Behavioral Health, UB Addiction Medicine, and Value Network. Patients will be asked some basic demographic information and then immediately be linked with a provider via telemedicine. Patients will then be evaluated for MAT and can choose a follow-up appointment at their preferred treatment clinic through the MATTERS platform. The MATTERS referral process offers patients a referral to peer services, a transportation voucher via Uber Health, and if uninsured, a medication voucher that can be redeemed at participating pharmacies. To ensure continuity of care, once the patient is linked to treatment, the Best Self team will follow up with the patient and the treatment clinic to verify that the individual is engaged in ongoing treatment and assist with any other barriers the patient might encounter.