Colorado Hospital Association Partners with Colorado Office of Behavioral Health to Promote Opioid Safety Initiatives

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLO.  – The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) is pleased to announce that it received a $650,000 contract from the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) as part of a two-year OBH Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant.

CHA will provide resources and expertise to support OBH efforts in rural and urban hospitals and health care facilities as part of a multi-year Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) pilot that combines behavioral therapy and medication to treat opioid use disorder. The MAT pilot results will be used to develop strategies for broader implementation. The Association will also partner with OBH to provide statewide education programs as OBH and the State of Colorado expand their efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

This partnership leverages the Association’s experience and track record in this area with significant work of the Colorado Opioid Safety Collaborative, a partnership between CHA, Colorado American College of Emergency Physicians, Colorado Emergency Nurses Association, Telligen and the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention. The first effort of the Collaborative is the ongoing Colorado Opioid Safety Pilot, which is a six-month pilot that concludes at the end of November.

“The opioid epidemic is wreaking havoc on communities across our state, so CHA is proud to partner with the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health on this important life-saving initiative,” said Steven J. Summer, Colorado Hospital Association, president and CEO. “This unique partnership with OBH affords an opportunity to enhance the Association’s work to address a critical element of the opioid crisis in Colorado – improving the delivery of behavioral health to treat substance use disorders.”

About the Colorado Hospital Association

The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) is the leading voice of Colorado’s hospital and health system community. Representing more than 100 member hospitals and health systems throughout the state, CHA serves as a trusted, credible and reliable resource on health issues, hospital data and trends for its members, media, policymakers and the general public. Through CHA, Colorado’s hospitals and health systems work together in their shared commitment to improve health and health care in Colorado. Learn more at www.cha.com.

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