The Addiction Policy Forum, a leading national nonprofit, has recognized Primary Health Care’s Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program as an innovative program that addresses addictions and provides support for families and communities. “Counseling only has a 6-10% efficacy rate,” said Dr. Alan Bollinger, a pain management doctor with PHC in Des Moines. “With MAT, there’s 60-80% success rate for treatment retention. That decreases the risk of overdose. We want to normalize the use of MAT. It is a treatment, just like other diseases have treatments.” Primary Health Care works closely with the Substance Abuse Treatment Unit of Iowa in Marshalltown to provide counseling and behavioral health services to their MAT patients. The program expanded to other Primary Health Care locations and also works with the jail, providing naltrexone and giving presentations throughout the community. In 2018, Primary Health Care provided MAT services to 222 patients in Des Moines, Marshalltown and Ames.