New virtual clinic connects Texas to addiction medicine and recovery services

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Health care option for substance use disorders increases access as COVID-19 exacerbates opioid epidemic in Texas.

In partnership with UT Health San Antonio, Be Well Texas, a new statewide addiction medicine treatment option, has launched virtual services for those seeking recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental health challenges.

Through telehealth and in-person visits, services are delivered under the supervision of board-certified physicians in addiction medicine and psychiatry, and include SUD assessment, psychiatric evaluation, evidence-based counseling, medication management, peer recovery support, case management, and pharmacy and lab services throughout Texas.

Be Well Texas is the first addiction medicine virtual clinic established in partnership with UT Health San Antonio and is the first of its kind in Texas with a no-pay option.

Portrait of Jennifer Potter
Jennifer Sharpe Potter, PhD, MPH

Be Well Texas founder Jennifer Potter, PhD, MPH, vice president for research (interim) and professor of psychiatry at UT Health San Antonio, sees the clinic as a first stop on the road to recovery, regardless of ability to pay. “Be Well Texas removes the barrier of cost, the physical barrier of distance and the social barrier of negativity surrounding addiction. Our specialists deeply understand the challenges of addiction and are eager to listen,” Dr. Potter said. “Some of them have gone through it themselves and can relate directly to their patients.”

Tackling the opioid crisis during COVID

Solutions like the Be Well Texas virtual clinic are urgently needed as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates the opioid crisis. Many suffering from addiction remain in isolation and have been cut off from traditional support networks. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, more than 4,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2020 in Texas, a 33% increase from the year before.

Be Well Texas’ innovative solutions are made possible through a contract with Texas Health and Human Services.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also known as UT Health San Antonio, is a premier academic research center that makes lives better through excellence in education, research, health care and community engagement. Be Well Texas is partnering with UT Health Physicians, the medical practice of the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.

Contact Be Well Texas at 1-833-778-2571 or https://BeWellTexasClinic.org.

 

In the news:

NBC 5 DFW: ‘Be Well Texas,’ new virtual program for addiction recovery, launches

Univision Dallas: UT Health San Antonio launches new virtual clinic to help with addiction and mental health problems; there are free options for the entire state

Yahoo! Finance: Virtual addiction medicine clinic connects Texans to no-to-low-cost recovery services

 



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