The renewal of a grant from Be Well Texas supports Workit Health in bringing evidence-based opioid use disorder treatment and medication to Texans in need.
HOUSTON, Jan. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Workit Health, the nation's most trusted provider of evidence-based telehealth treatment for substance use disorder, was once again awarded a grant by the Be Well Texas Provider Network at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. This grant of $262,289 will cover a full year of treatment and medication costs for 20 uninsured Texans with opioid use disorder (OUD). This grant is funded through the Texas Targeted Opioid Response, a public health initiative operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission through federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
While safe and effective treatments for opioid and alcohol use disorders have been available for years, not everyone has access to them, physically or financially. With 16.6% of its residents uninsured, Texas leads the nation in uninsured population, both in percentage and in raw numbers. And even those who can afford treatment often have difficulty finding and reaching a provider. According to Census Bureau estimates, Texas has the largest rural population in the country, and a 2020 study found that more than 3.6 million Texas residents live more than 10 miles from their nearest provider of buprenorphine, an FDA-approved medication that relieves opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings and significantly reduces the risk of overdose.
As a telehealth addiction treatment company that has helped more than 30,000 members with substance use disorders, Workit Health is already lowering barriers to access. Workit Health launched our Texas clinic in the fall of 2021 and serves the entire state with wholly online, clinical treatment, including medication-assisted treatment.
Workit Health's treatment model has demonstrated success in reaching under-served areas. Workit Labs, the research division of Workit Health, conducted a study that assessed retention in telehealth OUD treatment among the largest sample of rural Americans to date, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Telemedicine and e-Health. The study found that at the three-month point, 62% of Workit Health's rural OUD members were retained in care, and 99% were adherent to their medication treatment. This compares to 50% three-month retention rates reported in published studies on telehealth OUD treatment among patients living in rural areas. Retention in care is an important measure of success as it is associated with improved well-being and lower rates of overdose and death.
This grant from Be Well Texas allows Workit Health to offer this effective program of telemedicine treatment to 20 Texans who would otherwise be unable to utilize it, supporting and stabilizing their recovery, and preventing relapse. This is Workit Health's second year of being awarded this grant funding.
This grant project will be supported by Workit Health's ongoing collaboration with Texan community partners. Our partnership with Scripx delivery pharmacy allows members to receive medication for OUD at home. The project is also supported by our ongoing referral partnership with Bluebonnet Trails Community Center, a 501c3 community service organization that offers mental health and developmental disabilities services, including outreach, screening, assessment, and referral services for substance use treatment across central Texas.
About Workit Health
Founded in 2015 by two women in recovery, Workit Health has been addressing substance use disorders using a virtual-first model for eight years and has provided care for over 30,000 members. The Workit clinical program includes video visits with licensed clinicians, e-prescribing for substance use disorders and comorbid conditions, and psychosocial, therapeutic support. Workit's innovative technology removes barriers and expands access to evidence-based, person-centered treatment for people struggling with drugs and alcohol, improving outcomes and reducing costs.
More about Workit Health at: https://www.workithealth.com.
This project is supported by Texas Targeted Opioid Response, a public health initiative operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission through federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant award number HHS000562000002.
Media Contact
Jaclyn Jutras, Workit Health, 1 734-489-1624, [email protected], https://www.workithealth.com/
SOURCE Workit Health
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