Avenues Recovery Center’s Two Louisiana Facilities Designated as Blue Distinction® Centers for Substance Use Treatment and Recovery
February 22, 2024 | New Orleans, LA – To better help patients suffering from substance use disorder find facilities that deliver quality treatment and care, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana recognizes Avenues Recovery Center at Metairie and Avenues Recovery Center at Covington as two of the most recent facilities to receive the Blue Distinction® Center for Substance Use Treatment and Recovery (BDC Substance Use Treatment and Recovery) designation – a designation under the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.
Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated facilities that show a commitment to delivering improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 188 Americans die each day due to opioid overdose. This statistic highlights the grave reality of the opioid epidemic, and the critical importance of comprehensive, effective treatment for those suffering from substance use disorder.[1] Since its inception in 2016, the Avenues Recovery Center network, and its Louisiana facilities in particular, have worked to provide gold-standard substance use disorder treatment and care to those suffering from addiction. The BDC Substance Use Treatment and Recovery program requires designated facilities to deliver coordinated multidisciplinary care to patients, and provide timely access to quality medical and psychiatric care throughout all phases of treatment. BDC - designated facilities must also offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT) – an evidence-based treatment for opioid addiction that includes medication in tandem with behavioral therapy.
Matt Engler, Regional Executive Director of Avenues Recovery Center’s Louisiana facilities, shares:
“Avenues Recovery Center remains committed to bringing the very highest standard of evidence-based, patient-centered care to the clients we serve. We in Louisiana are honored to accept the Blue Distinction Center designation, as it recognizes the quality treatment being delivered in our facilities and makes that care more readily available to the wider public.”
Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacements, maternity care, spine surgery, substance use treatment and recovery, and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver. Research for many programs shows that, compared to other providers, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate consistently higher treatment quality and improved patient outcomes.
For additional program information and a current listing of designated facilities, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.
- Avenues Recovery Center at Metairie is a residential facility which offers inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation services as well as withdrawal management. Its unique setup – one treatment facility surrounded by 10 beautiful, converted townhomes – enables clients to engage in full-time inpatient treatment while separately residing in a warm domestic setting, removing barriers and diminishing any institutionalized feeling. Staffed by skilled, passionate professionals, clients receive round – the – clock care in the most dignified and compassionate manner. Each staff member is 100% invested in the success of each client and contributes to the wonderful, pervasive homelike atmosphere – which consistently fosters openness and healing.
- Avenues Recovery Center at Covington is a 106 – bed residential facility offering drug and alcohol detoxification and inpatient rehabilitation services. Merging highly individualized, targeted treatment plans with compassionate and respectful care, here you’ll discover a truly unique treatment experience. Avenues Covington is staffed by a round- the clock team of seasoned doctors, nurses, psychiatric specialists, addiction counselors and behavioral health technicians, as well as CNAs to provide constant support with Assisted Daily Living Services. Our team utilizes an array of evidence – based therapy modalities – including CBT, DBT, EMDR, MAT, and Motivational Interviewing - to achieve the best possible outcomes for every client. Avenues’ new facility is spacious, inviting and fully wheelchair – accessible, providing a serene and soothing environment conducive to recovery.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past four years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 36 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for one in three Americans. BCBSA provides health care insights through Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Health of America Report® series and the national BCBS Health IndexSM. For more information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit BCBS.com. We also encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube and follow us on Twitter.
About Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www.bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for non-covered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.
[1] National Institute on Drug https://nida.nih.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates