ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care Partners With PursueCare To Offer Telehealth Medication-Assisted Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder To New Hampshire And Vermont Residents

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PursueCare (https://www.pursuecare.com) and ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care (https://ccmdcenters.com) today announced that they have partnered to launch an integrated telehealth addiction and mental health treatment model serving populations across ClearChoiceMD's New England footprint which includes 13 urgent and walk-in care center locations across New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. The program is being piloted in Portsmouth, NH, and is planned for roll-out to all other centers at a later date.

ClearChoiceMD has played an active role in addressing community care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering on-site testing and its own virtual care visits. The collaborative program brings a convenient and immediate addiction and mental health treatment resource into communities that have been historically underserved. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are among the states with the highest rates of opioid-involved overdose deaths in the country.

Treatment begins with patients pre-screened on site by ClearChoiceMD medical staff. Those in need of substance use disorder treatment and/or mental health care receive any necessary physical exams and lab work at ClearChoiceMD before transitioning into PursueCare's integrated telehealth program. PursueCare's peer-recovery and care coordination experts introduce the virtual Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) model to patients while helping them get started with their personalized care team via a smart phone app.

The PursueCare program begins with a virtual assessment and continues with MAT, addiction counseling, behavioral therapy, and psychiatric care through video sessions. Medications are shipped directly to patients from the company's Joint Commission-accredited pharmacy. At-home toxicology screening ensures adherence and safety.

Throughout the course of care, ClearChoiceMD medical staff collaborate with PursueCare's treatment team to address any in-person needs that arise and confirm that overall health goals are being met.

Both companies feel they can better address the troubling rise of opioid misuse in the region, which has surged as a result of COVID-19, by working together. "Urgent care and walk-in centers play a vital role in community access to timely treatment," said Nick Mercadante, CEO of PursueCare. "Evidence shows these centers are a front door for addiction and mental health care. ClearChoiceMD has set itself apart as a leader in addressing local patient needs. By working together, we can rapidly, safely, and securely get more patients into the right care at the right time."

"The recent collaboration with PursueCare has been seamless. We are excited about the partnership and the implementation of PursueCare in our Urgent Care clinics to continue to strive in making a difference in the lives of our patients and our communities." said Joseph Sicard, MPAS, PA-C, Director of Clinical Operations & Chief Compliance Officer of ClearChoiceMD.

Both ClearChoiceMD and PursueCare are currently accepting new patients.

About ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care:  

ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care treats urgent, non-life-threatening medical needs for the whole family ? from cold, flus, fevers, rashes, aches, pains and backaches to minor burns and cuts to simple broken bones ? seven days a week. ClearChoiceMD centers offer board-certified providers, state-of-the-art facilities with on-site laboratory services and X-ray. Owned and operated by physicians who know and understand the need for excellent, expedient care, ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care is dedicated to meeting all the needs of the community, from infant to elders, school to industry and everywhere in between. 

About PursueCare:

PursueCare has rapidly established itself as a leader in technology-enabled tele-MAT programs for Opioid and other Substance Use Disorders. The company is currently serving patients in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, with plans to expand into neighboring states. PursueCare provides partnering hospitals, health systems, community health centers, urgent and primary care centers with a transitional telehealth addiction treatment program that can be offered to patients who would otherwise not receive comprehensive services on site. Services are billed to patient insurance and come at no cost to partners. Early treatment data is promising, with 85% of patients remaining in treatment for 90 days or longer. The average time to start care is less than one day.

SOURCE PursueCare