Jefferson Health Establishes the Stephen and Sandra Sheller Consult and Bridge Program to Provide Person-Centered Care for People with Substance Use Disorder

This program establishes an innovative primary care model that provides comprehensive, relationship-based care across outpatient, hospital, ER, and addiction treatment settings

PHILADELPHIA, May 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Jefferson Health announced the opening of the Stephen and Sandra Sheller Consult and Bridge Program. The Bridge Program is an ecosystem of coordinated, high-quality care for people with severe substance use disorder. In this model, a single interdisciplinary care team provides comprehensive services for the Bridge patients across community, hospital, emergency department, and psychiatry settings. In addition to the full spectrum of health needs, the program's staff assists patients with social needs such as housing, legal assistance, and food insecurity. The Stephen and Sandra Sheller Consult Bridge Program serves as a vital safe harbor for patients in the earliest stages of medical and substance use recovery.

"Jefferson Health is committed to creating innovative new programs for delivering compassionate, person-centered care. This pioneering model of specialized primary care promises to redefine how we care for people who have substance use disorders in Philadelphia and beyond, said Baligh R. Yehia, MD, MPP, MSc, FACP, President, Jefferson Health. "Thanks to the generosity of the Sheller family, Jefferson has become a national model of how to meet people where they are in order to help people who suffer from substance use disorder in our country and to commit to caring for them over time, providing a full spectrum of services across care settings to meet their needs." 

This initiative was made possible by a $1.5 million gift from Stephen and Sandra Sheller, who are committed to taking bold action to address the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia. Additionally, in late January, Thomas Jefferson University received a $250,000 grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts to support its Center for Supportive Healthcare's Stephen and Sandra Sheller Consult and Bridge Program.

The program opened its doors in February and has already engaged 45 patients. All 45 patients are currently in treatment for opioid use disorder, either with methadone or buprenorphine.

Over 15% of Americans struggle with a substance use disorder, and hospital admissions for patients with associated medical conditions are at an all-time high. People with substance use disorder are at risk for multiple medical complications such as heart infections and wounds, and often suffer from stigma and isolation. In the traditional health care system, care is often fragmented rather than centered on meeting people's needs over time. Patients in the hospital often leave before their treatment plan is completed and are at high risk for multiple emergency department and hospital stays.

"The Stephen and Sandra Sheller Consult and Bridge Program creates a new paradigm that breaks down healthcare silos in order to build systems designed for the people we serve. All of us, including people with substance use disorder, deserve health care of the highest quality, with a compassionate care team that has our backs. The Bridge Program's interdisciplinary team, including physicians, Certified Recovery Specialists, and other professional colleagues, is a model designed to be of greatest service to people with severe substance use disorder, ensuring coordinated care in the community and across care settings," added Anna Flattau, MD, MSc, MS, FAAFP, Chair, Family and Community Medicine, Enterprise Chief, Jefferson Primary Care, Jefferson Health.

"We enthusiastically chose Jefferson Health to be the recipient of our foundation funds for this new Stephen and Sandra Sheller Consult and Bridge Program. Aside from amazing expertise we saw in the Jefferson team, they were living out these principles in the way they treated those under their care, in the way they thought of solutions for both patients and community, and in the way they interacted with other individuals and institutions to engender cross collaboration and buy-in across disciplines. All to enhance and ensure seamless care for even the most fragile and at-risk patient. We could not be prouder of the work already accomplished nor prouder of this team of professionals," said Stephen Sheller on behalf of the family.

About Jefferson

Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 42,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top healthcare systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia area, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 17 hospitals and more than 160 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.

SOURCE Jefferson