Prioritizing Substance Abuse and Mental Health Needs with Hospital Corporation of America Healthcare

The number of drug overdose deaths in America increased by nearly 30% from 2019 to 2020. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated the problem. Today, the great majority of overdose deaths involve an opioid, and almost 90% of individuals who are badly in need of substance use disorder treatment receive none. In this podcast, Rebecca Chickey, senior director, Behavioral Health Services at the AHA, speaks with Kimberly Wells, CEO of Pinewood Springs in Columbia, Tenn., about that hospital’s success — in collaboration with HCA Healthcare's TriStar Health and Maury Regional Medical Center — in changing the culture on how substance abuse and mental health needs were incorporated into the care and improvement of human lives. The HCA approach is about mindset; engaging patients at one of their most vulnerable times as the best way to plant the seed of hope and chart a path to post-hospitalization recovery care.