Day Kimball Hospital Launches Project ASSERT to Expand Substance Use Support Services in Emergency Department

Day Kimball Hospital has launched Project ASSERT, a new emergency department program that connects patients experiencing substance use concerns with education, treatment options, recovery resources and community-based support services beginning the moment they seek emergency care.   

Funded through the Connecticut Opioid Settlement Fund, and administered by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), the program is designed to reach patients affected by opioid use disorders during a critical window when they may be most open to seeking help.  

In its first five weeks, the program completed 43 consults with 38 patients, resulting in three inpatient treatment placements, six outpatient treatment placements, four detox placements and two medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) interventions. 

The initial results demonstrate both the need for these services in the community and the value of meeting patients where they are. Every connection represents an opportunity to help someone take the next step toward recovery and improved health. 

“Project ASSERT allows us to meet patients where they are, at a moment when they may be most open to considering treatment,” said Kyle Kramer, DKH CEO. “These early numbers tell us there is a real need in our community, and they tell us this approach works. Every one of these connections is a chance to change someone’s path, and that’s exactly the kind of care we want to provide. Our goal is to reduce the barriers, provide education, and help patients take the next step toward recovery and improved health.”

How it works

Health promotion advocates (HPAs) work alongside emergency department staff to screen patients for substance misuse and connect them with resources tailored to their needs, including:

• Treatment programs
• Access to primary care, counseling and community-based recovery support
• MOUD, including FDA-approved medications such as Suboxone, buprenorphine and methadone
• Education on safer choices, overdose prevention and harm reduction 

“Substance use disorders are treatable medical conditions, and recovery looks different for every person,” said Steven Wexler, MD, FAAEM, DKH HPA Site Champion and medical director of the Day Kimball Hospital Emergency Department. “By connecting patients with resources during an emergency department visit, we can help bridge the gap between immediate care and long-term recovery.”

The team

In addition to Dr. Wexler, the DKH Project ASSERT team includes:

• Vanessa Brown, MD, JD, FACEP, FAAEM, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Medical Affairs and Quality
• Christine Collins, LPC, ED Grant Supervisor
• Crystal Lanning, MSOL, RN, HPA Supervisor
• Emily Laprade, Health Promotion Advocate
• Courtney Peltier, Health Promotion Advocate

Getting help

Patients can speak with a member of the DKH Project ASSERT team during an emergency department visit to learn more about treatment options and recovery resources. 

Anyone who uses drugs alone and is seeking immediate overdose prevention support can call SafeSpot’s free, confidential, 24/7 Overdose Spotting Hotline at 1-800-972-0590.