Substance Use, Infection Treatment and Support (SUMMITS)

Rochester - Strong Memorial Hospital

The SUMMITS unit opened in July 2021 as a one-of-a-kind hospital unit committed to providing acute medical care to people who have substance use disorders or addictions who need to stay in the hospital for long courses of treatment. The design of SUMMITS aims to provide comfort and relief during long hospitalizations, with addiction counseling and connections to early recovery resources available during and after the hospital stay.

SUMMITS clinicians include IMIP staff specializing in providing team-based, biopsychosocial care for vulnerable patients, as well as addiction professionals who work closely with the Strong Recovery Chemical Dependency program.

The SUMMITS unit is staffed by a collaborative multi-disciplinary team. In addition to daily patient rounds, all team-members take part in daily a multidisciplinary meeting where each patient’s individual needs are discussed from a biopsychosocial perspective. Emphasis is placed on harm reduction, challenges that may interfere with progress, and follow-up care.

The SUMMITS unit accepts transfers from other medical and surgical services at Strong Memorial Hospital once a substance use disorder has been identified and the plan for medical care requires a longer-than-usual stay in the hospital. Referring providers can contact the G92 attending physician via internal hospital messaging.