PURSUECARE ANNOUNCES HIRING OF ADDICTION TREATMENT PHYSICIAN LEADERS FOR VIRTUAL ADDICTION RECOVERY MEDICAL HOME MODEL

PursueCare also announces a new Chief Financial Officer, underscoring move toward comprehensive value-based care, clinical excellence, innovation, and growth.

MIDDLETOWN, CT, UNITED STATES, August 6, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- PursueCare², a digital addiction treatment provider, today announced the appointment of three Medical Directors: Jason Kirby, DO, MBA, FASAM; Dr. Henry Luu, and Dr. Seth Thompson. They will focus on building a comprehensive virtual clinic that will serve as an “addiction medical home” for people with substance use and other addiction disorders.

Dr. Jason Kirby is the President of the Tennessee Society of Addiction Medicine and is an expert in population health policy, healthcare economics, evidence-based outcomes-oriented addiction medicine, and human behavior. He is dual board-certified in addiction medicine from the American Board of Preventive Medicine and family medicine from the American Board of Family Medicine. He received his medical degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and his MBA from Point Park University. Dr. Kirby is also a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), serving in roles on its finance, steering, conference planning, and levels of care committees.

Dr Henry Luu, DO, MBA, MHCI currently serves as assistant Medical Director for PursueCare, LLC. He is dual board certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine from the American Board of Prevention Medicine and American Board of Family Medicine. He received his undergraduate degree from The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and practiced as a pharmacist for two years. He received his medical degree from The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete his residency at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune. As a Navy physician, he was deployed twice during Operation Enduring Freedom. After the Navy, he returned to civilian family and addiction medicine. He received his MBA from Pennsylvania State University and a Masters in Healthcare Innovation from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Seth Thompson is a board-certified psychiatrist with an expertise in Mood Disorders, Bipolar Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, PTSD, ADHD, and Addictive Medicine. He completed his medical residency training at East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine where he had the opportunity to train with a diverse population of both providers and patients. Drs. Kirby, Luu, and Thompson all have extensive experience in addiction treatment and will work together to lead PursueCare’s medical practice and supervise clinicians.

The Addiction Recovery Medical Home Alternative Payment Model (ARMH-APM)¹ was first published by the Alliance for Addiction Payment Reform in 2018. The model establishes a structure that promotes the type of integration and patient care capable of producing improved outcomes for patients, payers, and health systems long-term by aligning incentives. Individuals with chronic substance use disorder have historically suffered from numerous barriers to accessing integrated whole-person care. “As a behavioral health expert who has treated thousands of patients with substance use disorder, there is a severe lack of qualified providers rendering evidence-based services. Another challenge is organizations that microfocus on medication management without considering the entire patient clinical picture,” said Dr. Kirby, “We need to be linking our patients to a multidisciplinary team to address social determinants of health. That model doesn't readily exist yet, but we are dedicated to making it a reality at PursueCare.”

PursueCare also announced the appointment of Bradley Wilson as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Wilson brings over 15 years of progressive experience in healthcare finance, operations, and strategic planning. He was most recently CFO of FlexCare Infusion Centers, and Senior Vice President of Finance of Inception Fertility. , Mr. Wilson’s appointment added critical leadership experience with fast-growing venture-backed practices .

“Our vision has always been to address two critical gaps in the market: rapid access to addiction care from partnering in-community treaters and offering integrated whole person treatment services that actually meets our patient’s wide array of needs,” said Nick Mercadante, PursueCare’s Founder and CEO. “We are very excited for this next phase, where we can set the standard for what success looks like in value-based addiction treatment.”

PursueCare’s focus on innovation stems from its mission to address the growing crisis around access to addiction and mental health treatment. Over 48 million Americans experienced substance use disorder last year, of which 3 in 4 did not receive treatment. Additionally, just 27% of the known need for mental health treatment in the United States is currently being met. In contrast, PursueCare has reported that nearly 75% of all referred patients meeting diagnosis criteria are provided admission into its programs within 72 hours, and fewer than 2% of patients in care are re-hospitalized.

About PursueCare:
PursueCare launched its telehealth services in 2019 aiming to change how people access addiction recovery and mental health services by removing the obstacles historically associated with treatment. PursueCare delivers virtual care for opioid, alcohol, and other substance use disorders, as well as psychiatric treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions, through a proprietary smartphone app and treatment platform. By partnering with hospitals, health systems, employers, and health plans, PursueCare offers virtual addiction treatment for patients who cannot get timely and effective in-person chronic care. Patients can also seek treatment without a referral by downloading the app from Google Play or the Apple Store. PursueCare accepts most major insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid, and offers low-cost self-pay programs for uninsured or underinsured patients. Services are available in Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Ann Burr Clevenger
PursueCare
+1 917-821-1509
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¹ https://incentivizerecovery.org/armh-apm-model/
² https://www.pursuecare.com/