AdCare Hospital has helped individuals cope with the disease of addiction one life at a time for over thirty years. Established in 1975 as a ten-bed alcoholism unit within a medical/surgical hospital, AdCare Hospital has evolved into New England’s most comprehensive provider of alcohol and drug treatment. Centrally located in Worcester, Massachusetts, AdCare offers nationally-accredited treatment at its hospital facility, and outpatient services throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Treatment is covered by most major health plans, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Commonwealth Care.
 |
| Medical Director Ronald F. Pike, M.D. |
Ronald F. Pike, M.D., Medical Director at AdCare Hospital since 1983, attributes AdCare’s longevity and success as an addiction treatment provider to its medical model of care. Hospital admission is based on the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria for Patient Placement, and requires the authorization of an AdCare physician. From point of admission through patient discharge, an AdCare physician is managing the patient’s care. “And, because we are a medical hospital specializing in alcohol and drug treatment, we are able to provide the intensity of services required to treat individuals with severe addiction, and co-occurring medical and/or psychiatric complications,” explains Dr. Pike.
Inpatient Care
Once admitted to inpatient services, patients receive a complete assessment from nursing; a medical history review and physical screening from the Medical Staff; and a bio-psycho-social assessment by a clinician who initiates contact with family and other treating professionals. From point of admission through patient discharge, every patient is assigned a treatment team, led by a physician and comprised of a nurse, a primary counselor, and a case manager. The treatment team involves the patient and concerned others to create an individualized treatment plan that addresses the identified clinical needs of the patient. The responsibility for overall care is maintained by the patient’s physician, and provided through physician orders for specific services. Patient care is monitored through daily medical rounds by the treatment team.
Detoxification Services
The goal of treatment at all levels is to stabilize acute symptoms and prepare patients to transition to a less intensive level of care. AdCare Hospital views detoxification as the medical management of withdrawal which prepares the patient to then participate in appropriate alcohol and/or drug treatment. Once a patient has completed the detoxification treatment phase (Completion is determined by the physician according to the absence of withdrawal symptoms requiring medication), he or she begins an individualized treatment program.
Treatment modalities and plans are designed to increase the patient’s understanding of his or her addiction and continuing care needs. Patients engage in psycho-educational groups; introduction to self-help groups; preparatory counseling/motivational groups; and family educational and counseling sessions for significant others. “Treatment is hard work,” says Dr. Pike. “But time and again, former patients who are now in recovery have told me that battling the disease of addiction by getting treatment and working the program was tough, but definitely worth the effort.”
Rehabilitation and Acute Residential Services
For many patients, continued inpatient treatment is needed to address ongoing medical or psychiatric illnesses, or other issues that may place them at immediate risk for relapse. For patients warranting active medical care, the Hospital provides rehabilitation services. Patients participating in rehabilitation services are seen and treated daily by a medical staff member and 24-hour nursing staff. For those patients whose medical and psychiatric conditions are more stable, our acute residential services provide medically-monitored treatment and 24-hour nursing care.
Medical Staff Offers Addiction Education for Patients
Patient education is a core component of AdCare treatment. Since the fall of 2006, the Medical Staff has provided educational sessions for patients. These bi-weekly presentations are conducted by a physician or a nurse practitioner and give patients valuable education and information about the disease of addiction.
Topics covered include the genetic component of addiction; the health risks associated with addiction such as Hepatitis B & C, and HIV; and identifying triggers for alcohol and drug use. “The sessions give patients an important opportunity beyond treatment rounds to talk with the medical staff and to ask questions,” comments Wojciech Poluha, M.D., who joined the medical team in 2002. “Having information about their disease tends to improve patients’ treatment outcomes and chances for recovery,” shares Dorota Poluha, M.D., Ph.D., who joined the medical staff in 1999. “AdCare’s approach to addiction care is truly based on a medical / 12-step treatment model that addresses the needs of the whole person -- mind, body, and spirit.”
In addition to educating patients about the disease of addiction, the medical staff provides specialized workshops on psychiatric medications for dually-diagnosed patients. The patient sessions are conducted by Joanne Neri-McKenna, APRN, BC, PA, MA, LADC-I, HNC, a nurse practitioner and key member of the medical team, who also teaches psychopharmacology through Westfield State College’s Addiction Counselor Program at AdCare. Ms. Neri-McKenna’s course gives patients a wealth of information about the multitude of medications prescribed to treat psychiatric illnesses, ranging from depression and bi-polar disorder to schizophrenia.
Tracy Preston, MA, MSN, FNP, is also a nurse practitioner and valued medical staff member. She and Ms. Neri-McKenna spend much of their work day managing the medical and psychiatric complications of patients. Yet, both individuals are quick to acknowledge that there is more to healing than medicine. “Every aspect of life influences one’s ability to recover from addiction – genetics, the environment, stress, relationships, spirituality, counseling, and education,” says Ms. Preston. “AdCare treatment mixes medical attention, psychiatric support, counseling, and education with a strong dose of compassion and respect,” says Ms. Neri-McKenna. “Our patients are suffering from a life-threatening, chronic disease,” she stresses. “They need to know that we care about them and their recovery.”
Meet the Medical Staff
Ronald Pike, M.D., Medical Director since 1983, is a recent past president of the Massachusetts Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), a past director of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)’s New England Region, and a member of ASAM’s national board. In addition to his duties as Medical Director at AdCare Hospital, Dr. Pike is on staff at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care Center and St. Vincent’s Hospital at Worcester Medical Center. He is also an affiliate of the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Family and Community Medicine Department and an associate in its Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Pike obtained his medical degree from the University of Rome Medical School, and completed his residency in Medicine at Carney Hospital in Boston, MA.
Dorota Poluha, M.D., Ph.D., joined the Medical Staff as a full-time attending physician in 1999. Dr. Dorota Poluha trained at the Medical Academy of Lublin, Poland, and is the former Chief Resident in Internal Medicine at University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care. She was the recipient of the Primary Care Award for Resident Leadership in Primary Care from the City of Worcester in 1990. Dr. Dorota Poluha is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
Wojciech Poluha, M.D., joined the Medical Staff as an attending physician in 2002. Dr. Wojciech Poluha trained at the Medical Academy in Lublin, Poland, and completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center. He is certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
Joanne Neri-McKenna, A.P.R.N., B.C., P.A., M.A., LADC-I, H.N.C., rejoined the Medical Staff as a nurse practitioner in 2006, following over thirteen years of as Director of Admissions. Ms. Neri-McKenna earned her M.A. degree in Clinical Pastoral Counseling from Emmanuel College, Boston, MA, and her B.S. degree in Nursing from Boston University. In addition to her professional medical duties, Ms. Neri-McKenna teaches a course on the psychopharmacology of addiction through Westfield State College’s Addiction Counselor Training Program on the AdCare Hospital campus.
Tracy Preston, MA, MSN, FNP, joined the Medical Staff as a nurse practitioner in 2000, bringing with her training and experience as a mental health counselor in hospital settings. Ms. Preston holds a bachelor’s and a master’s in nursing from Regis College, and a master’s in psychology from Assumption College, Worcester.
John Murphy, D.O., joined the Medical Staff as an attending physician in 2007. A graduate of University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeforde, ME, Dr. Murphy brings with him substantial experience in addiction treatment, gained in outpatient and hospital settings in the Springfield area.
Top of Page |
