News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

October 1, 2020

Province to Invest in New Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine Resources

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Provincewide Hub, New Portage la Prairie Clinic to Enhance Supports for Manitobans Struggling with Addiction: Friesen

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE—As part of its continued commitment to improving addictions services, the Manitoba government will open a sixth Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinic while enhancing the level of care patients receive with the establishment of a centralized hub, Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen announced here today.
 
“RAAM clinics have been successful in providing patients with the ability to receive assessment and counselling, be prescribed appropriate medication and directed to community treatment programs and primary care physicians,” said Friesen. “Locating a clinic in Portage la Prairie will provide people in this community and health region with timely access to treatment and assistance in navigating the health system more easily.”
 
The new RAAM clinic in Portage la Prairie, to be located at 159 Fifth St. SE, will help people struggling with high-risk substance use and addictions. An addictions physician and a combination of nurses and counsellors typically staff RAAM clinics. There will be two half-day walk-in clinics per week where appointments are not necessary. In addition, nurses and counsellors will be available for appointments with registered patients from Monday to Friday. More information regarding the schedule for walk-in clinics will be made available before the Portage la Prairie clinic opens in late October.
 
“Investing and improving access to addictions medication and services ensures more patients have timely access to evidence-based treatment when they decide to seek care while providing support to them and their families in their journey through recovery and healing,” said Dr. Ginette Poulin, medical director for the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba and clinical lead for RAAM. “Through expanded and more readily accessible treatment, we will continue to move in the right direction.”
 
“When people living with substance use disorders seek help, it is important they receive it in a timely manner,” said Jane Curtis, CEO, Southern Health–Santé Sud. “The establishment of Southern Health–Santé Sud’s first RAAM clinic will ensure people living in the Portage la Prairie area receive that help with improved substance use and addiction supports that point individuals on the road towards treatment and recovery.” 
 
In addition to the new RAAM clinic location, the province has opened a RAAM hub in Winnipeg to provide provincial support, mentorship, training, recruitment and collaboration for all RAAM clinics in Manitoba. The RAAM hub has: 
hired a part-time provincial physician lead to engage, recruit, train, mentor and coach primary care providers, champion the implementation of withdrawal protocols, establish RAAM clinic protocols, and develop clinical and safe care pathways for patient transfers to and from RAAM clinics;
hired a full-time provincial co-ordinator to engage with RAAM clinics, stakeholders and the community to spread understanding, improve and standardize processes, lead community of practice, and measure performance; and
developed a provincial on-call service to support and mentor practitioners who are providing care to patients who accessed RAAM services or who are receiving addictions medication. 
 
“The RAAM hub will ensure consistent leadership and provide provincial support, mentorship, training, recruitment and collaboration to all the RAAM clinics,” said Friesen. “This will help develop competent and supported clinical teams that can provide high-quality services to those who need it.”
 
Since August 2018, nearly 4,000 patients have used RAAM services at locations in Winnipeg (Crisis Response Centre and AFM Riverpoint), as well as in Brandon, Selkirk and Thompson.
 
The investment in the hub and the new clinic is expected to be more than $650,000 per year, the minister said. Southern Health–Santé Sud is also providing an additional $360,000 in one-time renovation costs. It follows previous investments in the establishment of the RAAM model including $1.23 million in annual funding to enhance staffing resources at clinics announced last year.
 
These investments fulfil recommendations made in the VIRGO report, which were to increase capacity for opioid agonist therapy and community-based treatment services. To read the VIRGO report, visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/mha/strategy.html.
 
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED



Backgrounder
Background Information - https://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/newslinks/2020/10/BG-RAAM_Portage-HL.pdf