Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas Hospital in Austin, Texas, is a full-service hospital with 24/7 emergency care and Level I Trauma Center for adults. They deliver care for life-threatening injuries and illnesses and are a destination for specialty care.
We partnered with Dell Seton Medical Center in continuance of relieving pressure off of the hospital systems for people who are intoxicated. Patients under the influence of alcohol and other drugs who need to sober up safely, but do not need emergency care, can now be transported to the Sobering Center. To date, the Sobering Center has provided over 15 clients from Dell Seton Medical Center a safe and medically supervised environment to sober up in lieu of hospital care.
“The Sobering Center has resources that the Emergency Department cannot provide, such as Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) counselors,” says Dr. Christopher Ziebell, Manager of the ER Department at Dell Seton Medical Center. “As a result, they provide a better, more specialized care than we are able to provide, and they do so at a lower cost.”
Our partnership with Dell Seton Medical Center is pivotal as we continue to divert individuals from hospitals for intoxication so that emergency rooms may focus on more critical incidents.
“It has greatly benefitted the ER at Dell Seton Medical Center, as it relieves the ER of patients who only need a place to sober up,” says the ER social work team. “Many patients have reported having a positive experience at the Sobering Center, saying it’s a supportive environment that helps connect them to substance abuse treatment resources.”