Addiction Medicine

“Reduce hospital admissions, reduce the burden on the community, both economically and socially, and reduce the crime rate,” said Dr. Brian Hummel, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Lee Health. These are just a few of the goals he hopes to accomplish by addressing the opioid crisis. “We’re developing a coalition throughout the state to actually change policy to improve the state’s care of these patients as a whole,” explained Dr. Aaron Wohl, an emergency medicine physician with Lee Health. Health experts like cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Brian Hummel and emergency medicine physician Dr. Aaron Wohl created a program to recognize and treat patients with opioid addiction. “We started it in the emergency department, initiating folks on a specific drug to treat opioid use disorder,” said Dr. Wohl. Cardiothoracic surgeons also started using the treatment to help patients suffering from endocarditis— a heart infection that patients get from using IV drugs, particularly heroin. “It’s recognizing them when they come in that they do have an opioid use problem, and so we’ve created a rapid response team,” said Dr. Hummel. The program uses medication- based and behavioral therapies to optimize treatment. “It’s part of prime importance that we keep these patients safe, we get them on a stabilizing medication, and we get them in a holistic type of therapy,” said Dr. Wohl. A system-wide focus to help patients get the treatment they need-- By addressing addiction and educating the community on how to treat substance abuse.