WDH 2020-2021 Nursing Report - Flipbook - Page 17
Exemplary Professional Practice
Substance Use Resource
Team (SURT)
Kellie Mueller, MEd
Assistant Vice President
Behavioral Health Services
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital received a grant from
Foundation for Health Communities in 2020 to improve
the care of patients with substance use disorder (SUD).
Providers and staff who are screening, assessing, and
providing treatment for patients with SUDs may
feel uncertain about how to proceed, especially given
the often-complex nature of patients with SUDs.
Creating an interdisciplinary team of care providers
with increased training, understanding, and passion
for the care of patients with SUDs will increase the
overall system competency. A substance use disorder
resource team (SURT) was created as a support for
added guidance and expertise to team members who
are providing SUD care.
We currently have six SURT Mentors. Mentors
provide ongoing support and guidance to Champions.
Champions are a variety of interdisciplinary staff/
providers across the organization who seek increased
knowledge regarding care of patients with substance
use disorders. Champions have a passion for working
with these patients and supporting their teams in
providing improved care. Champions take between 9 and
12 training modules, depending on their role. This can
take up to 14 hours to complete, requiring a high level of
commitment from those wishing to become a Champion.
SURT members are Mentors or Champions. Mentors
are those who have a higher level of expertise regarding
SUDs and have experience with this patient population.
In the Spring of 2021 there were 90 SURT Champions
trained. Over 80 additional interdisciplinary employees
are taking the training in Fall 2021.
2020–2021 Nursing Annual Report
17