HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital’s Partnership with Gateway Foundation Offers Patients Substance Abuse, Treatment and Recovery Program
HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital’s substance abuse, treatment and recovery program,
provided in conjunction with Gateway Foundation, is a resource available to patients in the
emergency department as well as throughout the hospital. Gateway Foundation is the largest
nonprofit provider of substance use disorder treatment in the U.S. with its largest footprint in
Illinois and has been providing life-saving treatment for over 50 years. In addition, Gateway has
been engaged in a statewide program with hospitals and health systems over the last few years.
The program focuses on warm handoff services for the treatment and recovery of patients who
present with substance use disorder. A team of experienced individuals work to identify, screen
and transition patients from the emergency department or inpatient unit directly to a treatment
bed upon discharge as needed. The program’s focus is to intercept those in crisis and shepherd
them to care.
The team consists of a certified addictions counselor to perform intake screenings and
assessments to determine appropriate level of need and program placement. The counselor is in
regular contact with referral sources to help resolve potential barriers to effective treatment.
Additionally, a staff person with lived experience is on the team to provide support and outreach,
help with appropriate coping skills, and serve as a role model and partner for long-term stable
personal recovery.
Madisen Park, engagement specialist with Gateway Foundation and located at HSHS St. Mary’s
Hospital, provides the warm handoff for those who present to the emergency department or are
on an inpatient unit with substance abuse issues. Park explained, “My role is to see the patient,
assess them for substance abuse, and then provide a recommendation for treatment. I may
educate patients on how their substance use is affecting their medical condition. For more severe
cases, I can work with the patient to recommend an appropriate treatment option, either
residential or outpatient, and then make the necessary referral. If needed, I can help provide
transportation directly to the facility.”
Kimberly Luz, division director of community outreach for HSHS Illinois hospitals, shared, “We
have seen a tremendous increase in substance use across our Illinois ministries. This partnership
allows us to engage with our patients presenting with substance use disorder and connect them
with critical care in a timely manner. The warm handoff services are truly an extension of our
Mission in action as we address and overcome barriers to ongoing treatment and recovery.”
Dr. Teresa Garate, senior vice president at Gateway Foundation, has led the expansion of this
program statewide. She shared, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported
over 105,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. last year – this is the highest number ever at a time
when the global pandemic has taken over everyone’s attention. We must not forget that this
companion crisis continued to be the leading cause of accidental death for people under the age
of 50. The only way to address the growing problem of addiction and overdose is to join forces
with partners across the state, including our hospital and health system colleagues,” said Dr.
Garate. “We are grateful to be able to do this work in collaboration with HSHS leadership and
will continue to look for opportunities to grow so that we can identify people in need and get
them into treatment.”
This program is also available in all other HSHS Illinois hospitals: St. John’s Hospital in
Springfield, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon, St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in
Effingham, St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, Holy Family
Hospital in Greenville, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland and Good Shepherd Hospital in
Shelbyville.
For more information about HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, visit stmarysdecatur.com.
About HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital
Founded in 1878 by three Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital is a 230-bed, all private room health care facility that combines modern technology with the caring spirit of the original founders. St. Mary’s is situated on an attractive 21-acre campus overlooking Lake Decatur and offers a broad spectrum of comprehensive health services, including the latest diagnostic equipment, interventional cardiology, surgical and medical intervention, emergency medical care, outpatient radiation therapy, pain management and a sleep center. St. Mary’s also offers a wide range of community education and wellness programs. The hospital also has both a unique intergenerational day services program and the community’s only provider of hospital-based behavioral health services for all ages. Learn more by visiting www.stmarysdecatur.com.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high-quality Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states – Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute.
For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org.
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