B1E514340FEDCC7187258A1B0060CEA8 Hearing Summary

Richard Bottner, Colorado Hospital Association, spoke about the findings from a report by the Colorado Hospital Association regarding caring for patients with substance abuse disorder in acute care hospitals. Dr. Susan Calcaterra, CU School of Medicine, spoke about her experiences treating patients with addiction issues without having addiction treatment structure in place.

Audrey Rich Loy, San Luis Valley Health, spoke about the barriers for their organization to provide treatment in a rural area and the services that they provide. She spoke about the difficulties with funding and the limits on the reimbursement model as well as staffing. Angela Swafford, UC Health, spoke about how UC Health used grant money for addiction treatment and shared statistics about the success of treatment. Members of the panel answered questions about prenatal care while in treatment for substance abuse.

Members of the panel answered questions regarding the barriers for a hospital to be DEA approved to provide methadone treatment. The panel discussed the problems faced with recruiting and retaining workforce. The panel discussed the data behind the different substances being treated.