ARMC Recognized for Excellence in Opioid Care

ARMC has been named to Cal Hospital Compare’s Opioid Care Honor Roll Program in the “Excellent Progress” category for its efforts in providing effective opioid treatment and addressing the opioid epidemic.

Colton, CA - In recognition of its ongoing commitment to addressing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) has received an “Excellent Progress” distinction from Cal Compare’s 2023 Opioid Care Honor Roll program.

In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 301 people in the United States passed away from overdosing on opioids each day. Cal Hospital Compare (CHC) established the California Opioid Care Honor Role Program to train health care professionals in opioid safety practices and effectively treat hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), with an ultimate goal of increasing access to addiction treatment for hospitalized patients and reducing opioid-related deaths.

CHC invited all 348 California adult, acute care hospitals to voluntarily submit their Opioid Management Hospital Self-Assessment results from January through March 2023. The assessment measured opioid management through answers to eight questions across four key domains of care: safe and effective opioid use, identifying and managing patients with OUD, overdose prevention, and applying cross-cutting opioid management best practices. Additional credit can be earned by providing patients and families with certain opioid-related harm reduction services and by recommending other hospitals that have not previously participated in the Opioid Care Honor Roll to complete the assessment.

“We are incredibly grateful to ARMC and Cal Hospital Compare for their support in taking action to address the opioid epidemic at the hospital,” said Andrew Lowe, Pharm.D., APh, ARMC’s Clinical Director and Pharmacy Practice Residency Program Director. “We’re looking forward to working with CHC again on next year’s Honor Roll to continue driving change in opioid safety.”

109 hospitals submitted their assessments and 76 were recognized on the 2023 Opioid Care Honor Roll, with 34 hospitals including ARMC achieving the “Excellent Progress” designation. To receive this recognition, ARMC scored between the 50^th and 74^th percentile and received at least one point in each domain of care. This recognition indicates that ARMC has taken action to spread and scale appropriate opioid prescribing guidelines, UD treatment, and overdose prevention strategies across one or more service lines that reduce the use and risk of opioids for patients who visit emergency rooms, new patients with pain, and patients being discharged to reduce the likelihood of chronic use.

“Here at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, we have an opportunity to make an impact on how the opioid epidemic affects our patient population,” said Carol Lee, MD. “We’re giving them greater access to addiction treatment and really working toward removing the stigma that comes with seeking care for OUD.”

About Arrowhead Regional Medical Center

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is a 456-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital licensed by the State of California Department of Public Health, operated by San Bernardino County, and governed by the Board of Supervisors. It is ARMC’s mission, in an environment of learning and innovation, to serve our diverse community with high-quality, compassionate care. The hospital, located on a 70-acre campus in Colton, California, operates the Edward G. Hirschman Burn Center, a level I trauma center, a comprehensive stroke center, a behavioral health center, and five primary care centers. ARMC also provides more than 40 outpatient specialty care services. ARMC is helping to achieve the countywide vision by addressing the community’s wellness and educational needs. ARMC is the primary teaching hospital for the California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM). The University welcomed its first class of students in 2018. For more information on CUSM, visit https://www.cusm.org. For more information about ARMC, visit https://www.arrowheadregional.org.