34 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • MAY 2019
BY EDEN LAIKIN
A groundbreaking partnership in
Nassau County will close a long-held
treatment gap by providing overdose
patients with immediate transportation
and admission into residential
treatment from the emergency room.
The pilot program, years in the
making and announced last month,
involves Nassau County District Attorney
Madeline Singas, Northwell
Health, Nassau University Medical
Center (NUMC) and Maryhaven’s
New Hope Crisis Center in Freeport.
New Hope staff will now be on call to
respond directly to hospital emergency
rooms to counsel the patient and
immediately transport the patient to
New Hope to begin treatment.
"They'll have a safe and supportive
place to go through withdrawal and
to be directed to the next phase of
treatment,” Singas said. “Now there
will be no delay between the hospital
and help.”
In 2018, 123 Nassau residents died of
an opioid-related overdose, according
to the Nassau County Medical Examiner.
There are still 72 cases pending,
that may or may not be opioid overdose
related. In 2017, 184 individuals
died of an overdose in Nassau.
While running for District Attorney
in 2015, Singas provided $585,000 in
criminal asset forfeiture funding
to expand New Hope’s services and
admission hours to 24/7 coverage.
It allowed New Hope to hire a nurse
practitioner and psychiatrist to
allow admission to patients with underlying
mental health issues and to
provide medically assisted treatment.
Typically, users who overdose
and are revived are stabilized and
released from the emergency department
because withdrawal is not
considered medically life-threatening,
according to Singas.
“Typically, the person in crisis is
released back into the community
during the most violent, painful and
difficult throes of withdrawal. This
treatment gap leaves many patients
on their own, often leading to repeat
use that can continue uninterrupted
until death,” Singas said.
Under this program, “treatment and
hope for the future will start immediately,”
she added.
"Finally," said Valerie Labiak of Bellmore.
"I remember being in NUMC
begging for help, telling them that
I couldn't take my son, Michael Jr.
home. They gave me the number of
a shelter!"
Less than a month later, Michael
Labiak was found dead of a heroin
overdose at the age of 26.
Now the patient will be assessed to determine
the next phase of treatment.
The New Hope staff will assist the patient
with any necessary insurance,
Medicare or Medicaid paperwork.
The patient will remain at New Hope
until there is availability in the next
program. The average length of stay
is seven to 10 days.
Nassau University Medical Center
has further committed to the efforts
to fight the continuing epidemic by
making 20 more beds available for detoxing
patients. NUMC will also work
with Sheriff Vera Fludd to bring the
Nassau County Correctional Facility
a re-entry program using Vivitrol
treatment to prevent relapse in opioid
dependent patients.
“Addiction is a very complex and painful
condition that continues to overwhelm
families in our local communities, as
well as law enforcement and medical
professionals who are tasked with providing
answers,” says Northwell Health
President and CEO Michael J. Dowling.
“New Hope will serve as a bridge to
treatment for patients in our emergency
departments who are struggling with
addiction. It’s an important step in our
ongoing commitment to alter the course
of this crisis.”
For more information on New Hope
and other Long Island treatment programs
go to heroinprevention.com.
NEW PARTNERSHIP
CLOSING THE TREATMENT GAP
THE
OPIOID
CRISIS
PRESS HEALTH
“Now there will be no delay between
the hospital and help,”
says Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas.
WHERE TO FIND
HELP IF YOU’RE
STRUGGLING WITH
ADDICTION:
LICADD (Long Island Council on
Alcoholism and Drug Dependence)
24/7 Hotline for info and referrals
631-979-1700
Long Island Crisis Center 24/7
Hotline (Call or Text) 516- 679-1111
NAFAS (Nassau Alliance for
Addiction Services) Helpline: 516-481-
4000 nassaualliance.org (community
treatment providers)
Narcotics Anonymous (Nassau) 516-
827-9500 * (Suffolk) 631-689-6262
Vivitrol.com (medication assisted
treatment)
Heroinprevention.com (resources
and information)
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas recently announced the new partnership with Maryhaven's
New Hope Crisis Center in Freeport.
/nassaualliance.org
/heroinprevention.com
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/Vivitrol.com
/Heroinprevention.com
