Medications like buphrenorphine are important treatment options for people with opioid use disorder; however, they are often inaccessible to people who need them the most. In 2020, just prior to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) initiated a pilot program to provide low-threshold buprenorphine via telemedicine to people living in San Francisco. The “Telebuprenorphine” program would be rolled out by community-based sites who routinely provide services to people who use drugs. To coordinate efforts across sites and SFDPH, the health department hired Facente Consulting as a project manager.
Facente Consulting’s role in this 18-month project required collaborative planning with and coordination between SFDPH, the telehealth vendor (Bright Heart Health) and community partner sites, including GLIDE, the Community Behavioral Health Services Pharmacy, and a new hospital step-down program for COVID-19 patients known as San Francisco’s Alternate Care Site. Other key activities included planning meetings with SFDPH staff, site visits, troubleshooting challenges, creating an evaluation plan, and producing a report summarizing the process and lessons learned. Final deliverables included an incident log identifying all issues that emerged throughout the project, as well as a detailed final report that summarized all major project components, barriers, analysis of available data on program participation, and key recommendations.