Broadway Treatment Center has the ability to provide Incidental Medical Services (IMS) that address medical issues associated with drug and alcohol detoxification and treatment. IMS requires a special certification from the State of California, and not all addiction treatment centers have this certification. The goal of IMS is to enhance the safety of treatment services and provide medical care related to the individual’s long-term recovery.

It is Broadway Treatment Center’s philosophy that every client should be as comfortable as possible, especially during the detox process, and that appropriate medications be readily available under a doctor’s supervision.

What are Incidental Medical Services?

IMS means optional services provided at a facility by a health care practitioner, or staff under the supervision of a health care practitioner, to address medical issues associated with detoxification, treatment, or recovery services. Incidental Medical Services must be provided at the facility in compliance with the community standard of practice.

IMS allows us to employ quality medical staff and offer a wider breadth of medical services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. IMS is a new supplemental service under our current California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) license.

The ability to provide Incidental Medical Services sets Broadway Treatment Center apart from many other drug and alcohol treatment programs. While the primary goal for obataining this unique certification is the safety and health of our clients, IMS also helps to make the difficult process of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction that much easier by allowing some medical services to occur in the residential environment that might otherwise require transportation away from the facility.

Why is IMS Important?

Obtain Medical Histories A timely and comprehensive assessment for every client is necessary to offer quality care and a safe environment in which to recover. During the Broadway Treatment Center admission process we complete a detailed assessment which is then reviewed and signed off on by a physician or health care practitioner (HCP).

Monitor Health Status  Prior to admission into the Broadway treatment program, an assessment will be conducted by a physician or HCP to determine if the client is appropriate for care. Clients will be assessed daily while in detox by following the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) or the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA) protocol as warranted. If a client shows signs of detoxification withdrawal beyond our scope, we will arrange for a referral and/or transportation for the individual to receive medical care as appropriate. Each individual will be closely observed and physically checked, including vitals, on a regular basis for the duration of their treatment.

Administer Tests Associated with Detoxification from Alcohol or Drugs To effectively treat and monitor our clients a variety of testing services are available under the discretion of the administrative team, physician and/or health care practitioner. The types of testing utilized includes blood alcohol content via breathalyzer, toxicology via urine drug screens, and laboratory analysis as deemed necessary and appropriate.

Provide Alcoholism or Drug Abuse Recovery or Treatment Services Recovery and treatment services for alcoholism and drug abuse will be provided. The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) awarded our team behavioral health care services accreditation, and our addiction treatment programs achieved the Gold Seal of Approval® for the highest quality services. We offer a wide range of addiction treatment programs sure to meet the unique needs of each individual client.

Oversee Patients Self-administering Medications The policy of Broadway Treatment Center is that all clients who are in need of prescribed medication from a physician have the right to take such prescriptions provided that these medications do not impair their ability to function in our treatment environment. In addition, clients who are in need of prescription or over the counter medication have the right to self-administer such medications to the point that it is not considered adverse.

Treat Substance Abuse Disorders, Including Detoxification Treating substance use disorders, including alcohol or drug detox, is a multidimensional process that requires interdisciplinary coordination. Broadway Treatment Center health care practitioners have a goal to work with the client’s primary care physician or any external providers to coordinate client care. This is important because often there are existing complex conditions that may impact the client. Broadway Treatment Center utilizes Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) when appropriate for the specific client. The preferred medications used in MAT at Broadway are Sublocade and Vivitrol. Other medications that can be used, depending on the client’s needs, are Suboxone, Naloxone, Librium, Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and Disulfiram.  

IMS will be provided by, or under the supervision of, one or more physicians licensed by the Medical Board of California who are also knowledgeable concerning addiction medicine. Additional medical services can be provided by other health care practitioners acting within the scope of practice of his or her license and under the direction of a physician. 

For those who would like further information on IMS, note that on January 1, 2016, California Assembly Bill (AB) 848, Chapter 744 authorized alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities licensed by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to provide incidental medical services (IMS).