WSHA is pleased to announce that Summit Pacific Medical Center has received the 2020 “Rural Quality~ Everyday Extraordinary” Award. This award recognizes outstanding improvement in the safety and quality of rural health care. Summit Pacific Medical Center received the award for its work in starting a Medication-Assisted-Treatment (MAT) clinic for people suffering from substance use disorder.
During the submission process, rural facilities wishing to be considered submitted answers to five narrative questions. Submissions were blinded and evaluated by a panel of judges. Scoring was on a point system that included scoring based on the following criteria: significance, data-drive approach, culture of safety, results and scalability.
The submissions for this award revealed the hard work our rural facilities are doing every day to reduce harm and improve the health of the communities they serve. All the submissions were worthy of an award, but one of the submissions received the highest score.
In February 2019 Summit Pacific Medical Center started a low-barrier walk-in MAT initiation clinic that has seen remarkable success in engaging those struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD). The MAT Clinic’s success relies upon the dedication of the staff who engage the population with love, care, and commitment to their success. The clinic has made a major impact within the community and helped change lives. Additionally, its success has already demanded one move to expand operations, with another move anticipated to expand both access and services.
This effort is among the most successful clinics supported by the state opioid response effort. It serves as a major part of the Grays Harbor Opioid Response Consortium and the lead for the federal grant to support it in an ongoing effort to coordinate opioid efforts throughout the county.
Medication-Assisted-Treatment is key for increasing access to lifesaving medication and reducing opioid overdose deaths. This is an area where WSHA has worked closely with our members, and we are thrilled to see Summit Pacific Medical Center’s success. Congratulations!
