Delaware Hospitals Adopt Statewide Emergency Department Guidance for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

DOVER - The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), through its Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), today joined hospital leaders from across the state at Bayhealth in Dover to announce the adoption of new statewide Emergency Department Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Treatment Guidance.

Developed through Delaware's Overdose System of Care (OSOC), the guidance establishes a consistent framework for how emergency departments identify, treat, and connect patients experiencing opioid withdrawal or overdose to ongoing care. The recommendations reflect nearly a year of collaboration among emergency physicians, addiction specialists, hospitals, behavioral health professionals, and state partners.

The guidance is designed to improve patient engagement, reduce barriers to treatment, support the timely initiation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), strengthen transitions to community-based care, and promote compassionate, evidence-based care in every emergency department across Delaware.

"Every emergency department encounter represents an opportunity to save a life and begin the path to recovery," said Joanna Champney, Director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. "By adopting a common set of evidence-based practices statewide, Delaware's hospitals are ensuring that patients receive consistent, compassionate care and stronger connections to treatment, regardless of where they seek help."

Delaware established the Overdose System of Care in 2017 to strengthen coordination among emergency medical services, hospitals, treatment providers, and community organizations responding to the opioid epidemic. Since then, partners have continued refining the state's approach by identifying best practices, evaluating emerging evidence, and improving care coordination.

The new guidance addresses every stage of the emergency department experience, from initial patient engagement and withdrawal management to medication initiation, discharge planning, warm handoffs to treatment providers, and connections to recovery support services. It also emphasizes reducing stigma, using person-centered language, and treating opioid use disorder as the chronic medical condition that it is.

"The emergency department may be the single most important opportunity to intervene after an overdose or during opioid withdrawal," said Dr. Robert Rosenbaum, State EMS and Preparedness Section Medical Director for the Division of Public Health. "This guidance brings together the best practices developed by emergency physicians and clinical partners across Delaware so patients have the greatest possible chance to begin treatment, remain engaged in care, and ultimately achieve recovery."

The guidance also reinforces partnerships with community treatment providers and expands the use of statewide resources that help patients transition from emergency care into ongoing treatment and recovery services. Those resources include the Delaware Treatment Referral Network (DTRN), enhanced referral processes, peer recovery support, care navigation, transportation assistance, and other initiatives designed to improve continuity of care.

Representatives from ChristianaCare, Bayhealth, Beebe Healthcare, Saint Francis Hospital, Nemours Children's Health, TidalHealth, the Delaware Healthcare Association, and community recovery organizations joined DHSS for today's announcement, highlighting the collaborative effort behind the statewide guidance and its implementation.

To help address behavioral health needs of Delawareans, DHSS has several ways for individuals or their family members to connect:

• Call the 24/7 Delaware Hope Line at 1-833-9-HOPEDE or 1-833-946-7333 - a single point of contact where callers can connect to a variety of resources and information, including support from clinicians and peer specialists plus crisis assistance.
• Stop by one of DHSS' Bridge Clinics for an in-person assessment.
• Visit com to find out which treatment providers are located near you.
• Visit com, DHSS' one-stop website where Delawareans can search for treatment services and resources in Delaware or nearby states.
• Call 988 if the individual is in crisis and needs immediate support.
• Call 911 if someone has overdosed and needs emergency medical attention.
• Learn where to find Narcan training, get the medication through the mail, and download the OpiRescueDE App