Verity Healthcare

After launching a collaboration in 2023 to supply digital opioid use dysfunction help to these transitioning out of prisons, Bicycle Well being, Wellpath and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) have signed a further one-year contract with the choice to increase one other two years.

Boston-based Bicycle Well being is a digital supplier of remedy for opioid use dysfunction, whereas Nashville, Tennessee-based Wellpath is a medical and psychological well being supplier that serves weak sufferers, together with those that are in prisons and jails.

Via the collaboration, Wellpath works with FBOP’s residential reentry facilities and might refer these fighting opioid use dysfunction to Bicycle Well being. Residential reentry facilities assist folks transition again into society after incarceration.

“This new contract underscores the affect of this program for just lately launched adults in custody,” stated Wendy Dunegan, vp of Wellpath, in an announcement. “We’ll now be capable to provide Bicycle Well being’s digital MOUD care mannequin to this affected person inhabitants nationwide, increasing entry to progressive, results-driven look after a inhabitants very accustomed to the damaging results of opioid use – and the difficult path towards restoration.”

Bicycle’s companies embrace remedy, peer help teams and medicines for opioid use dysfunction, which might help with withdrawal signs, stop overdose and help long-term restoration. The corporate additionally has specialised care coordinators who’re skilled to work with these leaving incarceration and solely work with Wellpath sufferers.

This sort of help is very very important for these leaving incarceration, in accordance with Ankit Gupta, Bicycle Well being CEO & founder. About one in 5 adults in custody battle an opioid use dysfunction, and the main reason behind demise for these reentering society is opioid overdose.

“As sufferers transition from custody into neighborhood placements like residential reentry facilities after which, finally, again into society independently, they’re at a heightened danger of relapse, overdose, and recidivism,” he stated in an electronic mail. “Enabling these sufferers to obtain care by way of a digital remedy program like Bicycle Well being’s helps scale back these dangers whereas growing their entry to care that’s versatile sufficient to observe them all through the completely different levels of their launch.”

Bicycle Well being and Wellpath are already having an affect. Since they started working with this inhabitants in 2023, they’ve supported 2,640 sufferers dwelling in 139 residential reentry facilities in 45 states.

Gupta added that by way of this collaboration, he hopes to point out how “digital [opioid use disorder] remedy suppliers like Bicycle Well being enhance entry to look after sufferers within the prison justice system, whereas serving as a blueprint for future digital OUD remedy packages that bridge gaps in look after extra adults in custody throughout the U.S.”

One other firm that gives digital opioid use dysfunction help to these reentering society after incarceration is Boulder Care, although this firm focuses on Washington, Oregon and Ohio, whereas Bicycle Well being serves folks nationally.

Photograph: mikdam, Getty Photographs