GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Going over your medical history is essential for your doctor to understand your full health, but many with substance use disorder or a history of using drugs can find that level of honesty saddles them with unfair prejudices— or worse, denial of treatment altogether.
But leaving an honest account of drug use off your medical history can have a dangerous impact on the treatment of everything from car crash injuries to everyday dental hygiene.
The Grand Rapids Red Project feels no one should have to put their health at risk to get proper healthcare, offering overdose prevention, and response training while their Clean Works harm reduction services provide sterile supplies to the community.
They’re also partnering with Priority Health to promote services that practice harm reduction in West Michigan.
To help those ready to get sober, Corewell Health offers walk-in addiction clinics, while Priority Health’s behavioral health team is available 24/7.
The idea is to meet people who use drugs where they’re at in that moment to address conditions of use along with the use itself, helping many resolve issues that often led them to use in the first place.
According to the organization, keeping the patient— not perceptions— in mind reduces negative consequences and promotes better self-care by removing barriers to healthcare.
