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May 19, 2020
In any catastrophe, the medical needs must be tended first, followed by a wave of behavioral health issues that can last for months and years. The COVID-19 infection rate peaked in Connecticut at the end of April and now the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network (BHN) is preparing for increased demand…
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May 04, 2020
At first, the COVID-19 requirement to stay home felt chaotic and unstructured, but even as many found a groove, some uncontrolled habits remained, including excessive drinking. Whether it’s isolation, lack of in-person support group meetings or sheer boredom, the nation’s consumption of alcohol has spiked as the pandemic drags on….
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April 22, 2020
The numbers of people seeking help for behavioral health and substance abuse issues aren’t jibing for Dr. J. Craig Allen, vice president of addiction services for Hartford HealthCare. As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads into its second month in Connecticut, sales of alcohol, cigarettes and vaping substances have increased, but the…
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April 16, 2020
As Connecticut enters the surge stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, with state officials urging residents to “Stay Safe, Stay Home,” Hartford HealthCare will now offer access to most of its primary care, specialty and behavioral health providers through virtual health technology. More than 1,300 medical providers — including 550-plus primary…
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April 14, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic brings all the elements needed to worsen the state’s opioid epidemic – increased isolation, inability to keep medical appointments and an overarching pall of fear and depression. “I’m concerned that this pandemic will worsen the opioid epidemic in a number of ways,” said Dr. J. Craig Allen,…
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April 10, 2020
Beyond the fever and cough, the coronavirus has brought fear and anxiety to our lives. At the very least, it’s disrupted everything we know. While many people can work remotely, nurses, doctors, environmental services and food workers, pharmacists, respiratory therapists and many others don protective gear and help those sick…
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April 01, 2020
The uncertainty of these coronavirus times only increases the population’s need for mental health and addiction services, and the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network responded quickly by shifting outpatient individual and group counseling sessions online. Using the electronic platform Zoom, the BHN now offers therapy services for all ages, according to…
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April 01, 2020
While the nation focuses on protecting older, infirmed people from exposure to COVID-19, teens and young adults aren’t immune to the coronavirus, especially those who smoke or vape. According to data recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of COVID-19 cases nationwide are in…
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March 30, 2020
Gov. Ned Lamont today announced details on the latest collaboration to assist in the state’s coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is appointing the CEOs of three of the largest hospital systems in Connecticut – Hartford HealthCare, Nuvance Health, and Yale New Haven Health – to serve as co-chairs…
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March 27, 2020
The Quarantini is the cheekily-named beverage many are clutching while social-distancing, but the danger the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic might bring to those with alcohol use disorder is more sobering. If supplies run out or liquor stores are forced to close — there’s no indication now that will happen — many…