Rachel Haroz, MD, FAACT, head of Cooper’s Center for Healing, and members of the Center’s team participated in a press event on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, with officials from Camden County, the Camden County Correctional Facility (CCCF), and the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, to announce the results of an innovative program to help treat incarcerated people with substance use disorders.
Cooper provided guidance, medical expertise, and support to Camden County and the CCCF to establish their Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Program. The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers reviewed two years of data from the program and found that program participants were 38% less likely to experience an overdose within 365 days after their release, among other positive results.
“Cooper University Health Care’s Center for Healing has worked closely with Camden County, the Camden County Correctional Facility, the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, and other community organizations for many years to help address the devastating opioid epidemic and establish and support evidence-based treatment services throughout the community,” Dr. Haroz said. “We are encouraged by the results of this new analysis, which demonstrates that this multi-faceted medication for addiction treatment approach is making a difference in reducing overdose deaths and supporting incarcerated individuals in their path to recovery.”
“Because substance use disorders often intersect with incarceration, breaking the cycle by addressing this disease medically and providing additional services to these individuals may be the catalyst needed to save lives and make a lasting difference,” Dr. Haroz said. “At the Center for Healing, we look forward to other opportunities to partner with the county and the corrections department to provide the best, compassionate and evidence-based care and positively impact the lives of individuals and the community.”
