The Jessie Trice Community Health System (JTCHS), in partnership with the University of Miami, is spearheading a research initiative to bring lifesaving care to opioid users across Miami-Dade County, known as the “Better Together” campaign.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 7.8 million people age 12 or older misused opioids in 2024. While overdose deaths are decreasing according to the CDC, opioids remain a major contributor, highlighting the continued need for education, prevention and access to treatment resources.
The Better Together campaign is different from many substance abuse treatment programs because it focuses on outpatient care as opposed to inpatient care. The program utilizes buprenorphine, a medication that reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms without causing euphoria or dangerous side effects, helping prevent relapse.
JTCHS has been serving the Miami-Dade County community since 1967.
(Elisabeth Campbell for The Miami Times)
“What we found is what we already knew: opioids were in our communities,” said Dr. Timothy Tyler, who heads the program. “Because we had a lot of people that were already exposed to drug culture, when synthetic opioids like fentanyl came out, people were getting addicted to them very quickly, and African Americans were overdosing at higher rates.”
At JTCHS, a health system where the patients are 22% uninsured and 61% African American, this trend of addiction and overdose became a healthcare priority.
Dr. Timothy Tyler is a behavioral and mental health provider at Jessie Trice.
(Elisabeth Campbell for The Miami Times)
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, opioid overdose deaths among Black individuals exceeded rates among white people four- to six-fold in 2020, a number exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the reasons that this program came about is that we saw a huge increase in 2020 in the number of opioid deaths in the Black population. It was about 45%,” said Tyler. “There was so much negativity surrounding substance abuse that people were not coming into care. This whole initiative was to create easy pathways into care, removing obstacles so that treatment won’t disrupt the patient’s life.”
Jessie Trice offers pharmacy services in addition to primary care and specialized medicine.
(Elisabeth Campbell for The Miami Times)
Pre-existing health conditions increase the chance of death by overdose. As health disparities between white and Black communities increase, Black individuals facing homelessness, lack of healthcare and other social determinants of health suffer from higher mortality rates due to opioid use.
Out of the many social factors that influence health, the need for sustainable nutrition is especially emergent. Poverty and food deserts reduce the number of healthy options individuals can access, leading to higher rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Jocelyn Lawrence is the Chief Medical Officer at Jessie Trice.
(Elisabeth Campbell for The Miami Times)
“Since COVID, there has been a shift from having to address the primary care concerns of the patient to addressing their social determinants of health,” said JTCHS Chief Medical Officer Joycelyn Lawrence. “These can be medication needs, transportation needs, accessing food or paying bills. Those become the primary concerns of the patients, more so than coming to the doctor.”
Oftentimes for those with opioid addictions, treatment falls to the bottom of the priority list.
“Addiction takes everything,” said Tyler. “There’s nothing but addiction — that’s your life. From the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, there is nothing but maintaining your addiction.”
Part of the hesitation individuals have in pursuing healthcare is lack of insurance coverage. Although not a free clinic, the JTCHS system does not turn anyone away, offering sliding scale payment plans for those without health insurance.
President and CEO of JTCHS Ryan Hawkins advocates for annual wellness examinations for everyone in the community.
“Our main focus is to make sure that there’s access to healthcare and that individuals take advantage of that access,” said Hawkins. “I think it’s important that individuals learn that it’s never too late to prioritize your health.”
During each visit, the medical providers perform a screening for substance abuse disorders. Although JTCHS offers treatment plans to all patients suffering from opioid use, it is always within the patient’s rights to refuse care.
More than 50 years after its founding, JTCHS owns and operates 11 primary care centers and a 40-bed women’s residential center for substance use.
(Elisabeth Campbell for The Miami Times)
“Integrated care is our approach, not just for those with substance use disorders, but for all of our patients,” said Lawrence. “And when I say integrated care, it should be a whole team, including the patient’s primary care provider and their support staff that also intermingle with dental, behavioral health, optometry, podiatry and others.”
Tyler agreed, emphasizing the importance of holistic healthcare.
“The system is hard to navigate by yourself,” he said. “When doctors talk to each other on your behalf, that just makes it so much easier. Our doctors care, and that means a lot today. We care about you, we care about your health, we care about your outcome, and we care about you getting your medication.”
As a holistic health approach for those addicted to opioids, the Better Together initiative is working with community organizations such as the local police department, schools and churches to remove the barriers to health care.
Find out more about the Better Together initiative by visiting www.jtchs.org or calling 786-487-3545.