ALTOONA, PA – August 5, 2021 – Pyramid Healthcare hosted the Pennsylvania Attorney General for a round table discussion and media briefing at their residential behavioral healthcare treatment program for men in York, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.

Pyramid Healthcare clinical and executive staff presented recommendations to Attorney General Josh Shapiro for the prioritization and allocation of the over $1 billion Pennsylvania will receive ($232 million of which will be provided in 2022) from the opioid settlement Shapiro negotiated. Extending the availability of telehealth treatment, addressing severe labor shortages in behavioral healthcare, increasing payer rates and creatively expanding care management were identified as solutions to promote long-term recovery, favorable outcomes and decreasing the financial impact of COVID-19. Attorney General Shapiro expressed that the opioid settlement monies received by Pennsylvania needs to be allocated to services related to substance use treatment.

“Pyramid Healthcare remains both encouraged and honored by the opportunity to meaningfully engage with the Pennsylvania Attorney General at a time when the need for increased and ongoing behavioral healthcare treatment and funding couldn’t be more critical to those we serve. State funding to increase payer rates, grow the behavioral health workforce, expand programs, and telehealth availability will have dramatic, positive impacts on the amount, quality and effectiveness of care we’re able to consistently provide for residents in York and the entire state of Pennsylvania,” stated Jonathan Wolf, CEO of Pyramid Healthcare.

Pyramid Healthcare offers a full continuum of substance use and mental health treatment including residential, outpatient and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs for adults and teens at 3 locations in York, and 23 additional locations across Pennsylvania. The program Attorney General Shapiro visited is a 38-bed residential treatment center for men that will expand by 62 beds in 2022 to provide residential detoxification and rehabilitation services for both men and women.

Download the full press release here.