Culturally competent behavioral health provider ReKlame Health is expanding its addiction treatment services into the home, the company exclusively told MedCity News on Monday.
New York City-based ReKlame Health offers virtual mental health and addiction treatment services with a focus on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities. It works with all major payers, including UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Oxford, Oscar, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna. While ReKlame serves patients in New York, New Jersey and Florida, the company’s in-home addiction treatment services will begin in only New York City.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Through ReKlame’s new in-home addiction care program, patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder start with Naltrexone, a daily oral medication that helps remove cravings for opioids and alcohol. Patients are assessed by their ReKlame provider through telepsychiatry appointments, and the provider can eventually transition patients to Naltrexone LAI, which is an injection administered monthly. A ReKlame registered nurse will then come to the patient’s home on a monthly basis to administer the treatment. In addition to providing the medication, the nurse is also able assess other areas of concern for the patient and inform the patient’s virtual clinician.
The in-home program has two major benefits, said Evans Rochaste, founder and CEO of ReKlame. When treating a patient virtually, ReKlame is only able to prescribe the daily oral medication, which can be difficult for patients to remember everyday. The in-home program allows the company to provide the injection, which lasts for 30 days. In addition, the registered nurse is able to examine the patient in ways providers aren’t always able to see through virtual sessions.
“Being able to have that additional touch point can be the difference between life and death or a bad outcome,” Rochaste said in an interview. “Having that nurse in the home, they’re able to survey how our patient is living, see how things are going, be able to really do that assessment and augment that with the assessments that are going on in the virtual platform.”
Although the in-home services are starting in New York City, ReKlame plans to expand to other locations depending on the success of the program, Rochaste said.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
“We would love to take what we’ve learned from serving the population here in New York, especially underrepresented, underprivileged communities and expand that to other underrepresented, underprivileged communities,” he stated.
The news comes at a time when New Yorkers are struggling: There are 6,700 alcohol-related deaths occurring annually in New York, according to the New York State Department of Health. ReKlame hopes to reduce these deaths, particularly for underserved communities, Rochaste said.
“Our ultimate goal is to save more lives,” he said. “[That’s] our North Star goal by launching this program. But also, [we want to] bring this program to communities that have historically been left out. So not only save lives, but focus on communities who may not have any other options and are dealing with distress from post-pandemic life, as well as looking for culturally competent innovative solutions.”
Other companies that provide Naltrexone include Mindful Care, Monument and Ria Health. ReKlame Health differentiates itself, however, by focusing on BIPOC communities.
Photo: undefined undefined, Getty Images
