A tool kit for providers

Briefings will be held Monday, January 29, at the Center for Community Health on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs campus in downtown Vancouver (1601 East Fourth Plain Blvd) at 10 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

VANCOUVER -- The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Chief Medical Officer will brief Vancouver-area health-care providers Monday, January 29, on a new "tool kit" aimed at helping them identify and deal with Medicaid patients whose narcotic or other drug use may need more attention.

The tool kit initiative will include background information on specific patients whose drug use may raise questions, as well as a new Medicaid Web site for providers with information on chronic pain treatments, screenings, chemical dependency treatment referrals, and prescribing guidelines.

The tool kit was devised by Medicaid's Chief Medical Officer, Jeffery Thompson, M.D., and the initiative was coordinated by DSHS medical care programs and the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Initially, four counties have been selected to pilot this initiative: Yakima, Clark, Pierce, and Vancouver.

DSHS began the launch of the tool kit program earlier this month with participating providers in Yakima County. Similar briefings are planned in Pierce and Spokane counties this spring.

The initiative includes sharing 12-month prescription histories, Emergency Room treatment and inpatient histories from Medicaid billing records. Because patients often are seeing multiple providers and clinics, individual doctors have not always been aware of the complete prescription histories.

ASSIGNMENT EDITORS/NEWS EDITORS:

Dr. Thompson and other team members will be available for interviews during the break between the two Monday sessions in Vancouver. To schedule an interview during that period, please contact Jim Stevenson, Medicaid Communications Director, at 360-902-7604 (Pager: 360-971-4067).

FOR ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION:

Visit the Tool Kit Web site