DAYTONA BEACH – SMA Healthcare is pleased to announce that the agency has been selected to play a key role locally in Governor DeSantis’ Coordinated Opioid Response (CORE) initiative, announced last Wednesday in Rockledge, Florida.
This initiative is the first of its kind in the nation, and represents the coordinated effort of multiple state agencies, the Department of Health, Department of Children and Families, and the Agency for Health Care Administration. Slated to expand immediately into nine counties, SMA will contract with both Volusia and Marion Counties’ departments of health to establish addiction stabilization units in response to the alarming rise in opioid overdose deaths across the state.
“Coordination of all facets of one’s medical care is extremely important to the sustained success of those beginning the journey to recovery,” said Rhonda Harvey, Chief Operating Officer at SMA Healthcare. “SMA has long been a proponent of integrated service provision, providing primary, psychiatric, and substance use disorder treatment to those in our care. We applaud the innovation and the focus of effort on this chronic, life threatening, and treatable illness.”
After two years of being piloted in Palm Beach County, the program has shown promising outcomes and is being expanded to include Brevard, Clay, Duval, Escambia, Gulf, Manatee, Marion, Pasco and Volusia Counties, with the potential for further expansion into Flagler County, in the works.