CoxHealth becomes 1st Missouri member of addiction treatment program

CoxHealth became the first Missouri member to join the burgeoning Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network.

CoxHealth’s Center for Addictions, located at Cox North Hospital, 1423 N. Jefferson Ave., will host prevention and recovery resources provided by the network following its recent certification by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. The resources will be used throughout CoxHealth’s system, according to a news release.

CoxHealth spokeswoman Kaitlyn McConnell said through the partnership, local primary care physicians will more easily be able to refer patients to the foundation’s inpatient treatment clinics. She said CoxHealth’s Center for Addictions does not offer inpatient addiction services. McConnell declined to disclose how much CoxHealth agreed to pay to become a member.

“When someone decides they need help for their addiction, it’s imperative that they’re able to access help within days or even hours,” said Tressa Moyle, director for CoxHealth’s Center for Addictions, in the release. “As a member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network, we’ll be connected to comprehensive resources and partners we can trust, which will help us ensure that our patients can access the appropriate level of care as quickly as possible, with their primary care physician remaining involved through the duration of their treatment path.”

CoxHealth becomes the 18th Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network member, with others operating in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Washington. The Ford Foundation, based in Center City, Minnesota, launched the network in fall 2017.

The network sites collaborate on addiction treatment services and best practices, according to the release.

“As a center of excellence in our field, we are dedicated to sharing our expertise and at the same time learning from other high-quality providers such as CoxHealth,” said Bob Poznanovich, Hazelden Betty Ford’s vice president of business development, in the release.