WESTON, WV – The West Virginia Department of Health Facilities (DHF) is pleased to announce the launch of an acupuncture pilot program at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital that will help ease patients through the detoxification process while reducing anxiety, stress, paranoia, aggression and other behaviors.
Sharp Hospital Unit Manager Teresa Hoskins, MSN-RN, will lead the pilot program, which will initially be available only to patients on her unit. Hoskins became an AcuDetox therapist in 2019 and follows program guidelines outlined by the National Acupuncture Detox Association (NADA).
Acupuncture services will be offered to patients who are willing and able to benefit from the treatment. A former, unused visiting room on Hoskins’ ward will be decorated and furnished for the 45-minute treatment sessions. The first series of treatment sessions will take place over three days, Hoskins said.
“Research has shown that inserting five needles into both ears, once per day for three days, can reduce recurrence by 45 percent,” says Hoskins, “and if patients decide to continue treatment after that, studies have shown that the chance of recurrence is reduced by a further 85 percent.”
William R. Sharp Jr. Hospital plans to offer these treatment services to patients by August 1, 2024, providing services once a month for six months after the initial series of sessions. Upon completion, the success of the program will be evaluated by analyzing patient behavior and conducting post-medication surveys to determine if medication regimens have been reduced as a result of acupuncture treatment. Further implementation of the acupuncture program at Sharp Hospital will be determined following this evaluation.
“Every person has the right to a good life,” Hoskins added. “If I can help people survive and thrive by providing this acupuncture treatment, I can’t think of anything better than that.”
Hoskins currently has 14 patients on her ward, half of whom she says could benefit from acupuncture.
Sharp Hospital operates all of its treatment services through bundled fees included in patients’ treatment plans, and no additional revenue sources are required to fund the pilot program.
