Don Logan is CMA’s Care Navigator assigned to St. Joseph’s Hospital and PeaceHealth Medical Group. In the past 12 months, he’s provided 165 consults to patients in the Emergency Department, One Central, the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and various other hospital and medical care settings in the area. He also serves patients at the CMA Clinic. Don’s primary role as a Care Navigator is helping people transition into opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment (or treatment for other substances), usually beginning in the hospital, and then assisting with their transition to ongoing care at the Clinic or with other providers. He often sees “brave, resourceful” people who have experienced “years of misery” find “solace” as their recovery begins to take shape. Often, their success hinges on OUD treatment with suboxone, a medication that allows patients to manage their triggers, avoid cravings and remain abstinent. 
Don has been involved with the “Clean and Sober” community for more than 35 years, and his experience in the area helps him shepherd new patients to find meetings they can relate to, and other people seeking recovery to connect with. He’s gratified by contributing to the reunification of many families as parents get well, and proud of the family-friendly environment at the CMA Clinic, where children of patients can feel comfortable playing in the toy box or visiting with Don’s terrier, Violet, while their parents check in with clinic staff. (Don and Violet pictured above left) 
Since 2022, Bellingham has seen a steep rise in the availability of fentanyl, and even harsher consequences for people who use it. It contributes to the acuity of addiction and worsens the complications people face, both while they are using and when they try to quit. Being proactive in getting folks into treatment as early as possible is critical because “it matters when you catch it.” Overdoses continue to plague the region. 
The good news is the medications shown to be effective for other opioid addictions, such as suboxone, also work for fentanyl, but transitioning to those medications is trickier and more difficult to manage for patients using fentanyl. Sublocade, a longer acting monthly medication for OUD, has been a “huge boon” to patients at CMA, and even insurance companies serving Medicaid clients will cover its cost. This is cause for some hope as managing life and remaining abstinent is easier for patients when they don’t need to dose daily.