Ellenville Regional Hospital, Ellenville, New York

Ellenville Regional Hospital (ERH), located in Ellenville, New York, is recognized for implementing an innovative project to fight the opioid crisis in collaboration with a federally qualified health care center (FQHC). The Opiate Reduction Medicaid Accelerated Exchange Series Pilot (Max) Project has provided a new model of care in an effort to decrease the administration of opioids in the emergency department (ED). The Max Project decreased the administration of opioids to chronic pain patients who were shown to be super-utilizers of the ED, while also connecting them to primary care and specialty services provided at the FQHC, such as pain management and mental health.

Positive Outcomes

• Of the 64 chronic pain patients in the pilot project:
  • ED utilization decreased by 72.8 percent.
  • Administration of opioids in the ED decreased by 84.4 percent.
• Overall opioid administration in the ED decreased by 42.5 percent (excluding the chronic pain cohort).

Top Accomplishments

The Max Project provides an ongoing effective model of collaborative care to ensure continuity of care for patients. The project has provided model intervention lessons that integrate prevention and treatment. This project also addresses New York’s prevention agenda priority area to promote mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) health along with the prevention of substance abuse and other MEB disorders.

“Rural hospitals have to reinvent themselves to better meet new paradigms in health care and to create value. Our transformation from a 95 percent inpatient model to 75 percent outpatient includes a substantial focus on population health with special emphasis on fighting the opioid crisis. Ellenville Regional Hospital is deeply appreciative of being selected for this prestigious recognition.” –  Steven L. Kelley, CEO