An estimated 500,000 Oregonians suffer from persistent pain, robbing them of a full and active life. The North Coast Pain Clinic in Astoria, sponsored by Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization, has been opened to help people with this problem.
“We are very excited to offer this resource in Clatsop County,” says Mimi Haley, Columbia Pacific CCO regional executive. “Going into the project, we used insurance claims data that showed seven out of 10 diagnoses in the CCO population were for pain-related conditions and that the top prescribed medications were for opiates related to pain management. At that point, we realized that we had a big opportunity to get at the root cause, persistent pain, which is often the result of adverse childhood events that lead to a lifetime of chronic medical and mental health conditions. The new clinic is the first step in drawing health care providers together in our community to improve the lives of those with persistent pain.”
Open to all patients, including those on Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid), the nonprofit clinic will focus on providing information, counseling, coping skills and community resources to help people reduce and better manage their pain – allowing them to return to doing the things they enjoy. The clinic seeks to care for the whole person, not just their pain.
Patients must be referred to the clinic by their primary care provider. The clinic does not provide or prescribe medications, but will work with patients and their primary care providers to design the best, most appropriate treatment plan for each patient. The clinic is a pilot program and if it proves effective, the CCO plans to open similar clinics or programs in other counties it serves.
An experienced pain care professional, Mark Altenhofen, M.S., is the clinic team leader of the clinic. His background includes more than 20 years of experience specializing in assessment and treatment of persistent pain. He holds a B.S. in psychology from University of Oregon, M.S. in counseling psychology from Southern Oregon University, and postgraduate certifications in behavioral medicine from Harvard Medical School and hypnotherapy from the Milton Erickson Institute.
For more information about the clinic, please visit www.northcoastpainclinic.org. The clinic, located at 2120 Exchange Street, Suite 207 in Astoria, can be reached at 503-501-4170.
