Taking a Personal Approach to Fighting Substance Use Disorder

Recovery coaches help patients with substance use disorder by serving as a personal guide through the challenges of overcoming addiction, from treatment to recovery and social re-integration. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is providing a total of $1 million in grants to support the developing recovery coach workforce and to learn about patient experiences with these programs.

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Ending the Confusion Over Breast Cancer Screening

Many women have experienced false alarms in breast cancer screening, and guidance over how frequently to get screened has changed over the years. The WISDOM (Women Informed to Screen Depending on Measures of Risk) Study is gathering data to inform screening protocols that effectively detect breast cancer while reducing false alarms. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is encouraging their beneficiaries to get involved.

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Bringing Health Care into The Neighborhood

Chicago’s Pullman community is getting a new neighborhood health care center with free educational workshops and wellness classes like yoga to focus on “whole person wellness.” The Blue Door Neighborhood Center, founded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, will open in April 2019. The center will be open to everyone in the community and will offer meeting space for local non-profits.

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Unemployment, Clinician Shortages & Newborn Opioid Exposure

New research supported in part by a NIHCM grant found significant associations between higher long-term unemployment, higher mental health clinician shortages and higher rates of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS refers to the withdrawal symptoms experienced by newborns following exposure to drugs in the womb. Learn more

Trends in Public Health: Opioid Overdose, Antibiotic Resistance & Chronic Disease

The CDC’s roll-up of the biggest public health threats of 2018 highlights challenges we will continue to face in 2019. As opioid overdose deaths continue to rise, American life expectancy continues to fall. Concerns about antibiotic resistant drugs are bringing together diverse stakeholders, from pharmaceutical companies to food animal producers. The CDC is actively working in these areas to make a difference.

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Funding Opportunity – Building Communities of Recovery

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is now accepting applications through April 2, 2019, for its Building Communities of Recovery grant program. Recovery Community Organizations that are private nonprofit entities in states, territories, or tribes are eligible to apply.

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