Respectful and Equitable Access to Comprehensive Healthcare (REACH) Program

The Respectful and Equitable Access to Comprehensive Healthcare (REACH) Program provides a patient-centered, harm reduction approach to primary care for persons who use alcohol and other drugs, and for individuals living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Co-located within Mount Sinai Hospital’s Internal Medicine Associates, REACH provides comprehensive primary care services, including office-based buprenorphine treatment, stigma-free risk reduction counseling, HCV treatment, overdose response training, and psychosocial assessment and support including groups. The REACH model of care uses patient navigators to coordinate services and guide patients through the complex health care system, thereby removing barriers to accessing quality care and treatment. REACH also conducts community HCV education and testing.

The mission at the REACH Program encompasses four goals:

• Provide comprehensive and stigma-free care and prevention services to our patients and our community.
• Develop best practices and tools for healthcare providers and provide trainings to disseminate these.
• Conduct research and contribute to scientific advancement in the field.
• Engage in advocacy that informs and advances policy to promote health equity.

Testing

REACH conducts point-of-care HCV antibody testing and confirmatory HCV RNA testing in collaboration with community partners, as well as education about HCV infection. We link anyone found to have chronic HCV to appropriate medical care and treatment.

Treatment

REACH takes a multidisciplinary, team-based, harm reduction approach to primary care for persons using alcohol and other drugs, including medications for opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. REACH also provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment of HCV infection via telehealth and in-person. REACH offers integrated psychiatric evaluation and treatment and provides referral to more intensive substance use and/or mental health treatment when indicated. REACH is able to provide services to patients who are not English speaking. Most health insurance plans are accepted including most managed Medicaid plans.

Through the New York State Department of Health HepCAP Program, REACH provides HCV-related medical care for patients who do not qualify for health insurance, including undocumented persons.

Support Groups

REACH offers free virtual and in-person harm reduction support groups to its patients and those interested in becoming REACH patients.

Overdose Response Training and Syringe Services

REACH offers opioid overdose response training and free naloxone kits to individuals in our community and medical providers. REACH is accredited through the New York State Department of Health to operate an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program and a Second-Tier Syringe Exchange Program.

Research and Education

REACH conducts quality improvement projects and clinical research and has developed innovative tools and educational resources for health care providers and patients in order to improve treatment outcomes.

This includes:

• The Psychosocial Readiness Evaluation and Treatment for Hepatitis C (PREP-C)
• Collaboration with the Mount Sinai Institute for Advanced Medicine on the Clinical Education Initiative to provide continuing medical education on hepatitis C and drug user health to clinicians across New York State
• Key publications authored by REACH staff:
  • A Medical Student-Led Model for Telephone-Based Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022)
  • Telemedicine Increases Access to Buprenorphine Initiation During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021)
  • Transitioning Clinical Care for People Who Use Drugs to Telemedicine: Lessons Learned One Year into the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021)
  • Community Case Study of Naloxone Distribution by Hospital-Based Harm Reduction Program for People Who Use Drugs in New York City (2021)
  • Predictors of Hepatitis C Treatment Outcomes in a Harm Reduction-focused Primary Care Program in New York City (2021)
  • Increasing Access to Hepatitis C Virus Medications: A Program Model Using Patient Navigators and Specialty Pharmacy to Obtain Prior Authorization Approval (2018)

Meet our Providers

Michael Herscher, MD
Lauren Kelly, MD
Elizabeth R. Kolod, MD
Eric Kutscher, MD
Yonina Mar, MD
David Skovran, NP
Daniel Suter, MD
Linda Wang, MD
Eric C. Woods, MD
Jeffrey J. Weiss, PhD