Mountain State Times

The West Virginia Department of Health Facilities (DHF) has announced an upcoming acupuncture pilot program at William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital aimed at assisting patients through the detoxification process and alleviating anxiety, stress, paranoia, aggression, and other behaviors.

Theresa Hoskins, MSN-RN, Unit Manager at Sharpe Hospital, will lead the pilot program. Initially available only to patients on her unit, the program follows guidelines from the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA). Hoskins became an AcuDetox Therapist in 2019.

Acupuncture services will be offered to patients willing to receive the therapy and who could benefit from it. A former visitation room on Hoskins’ unit will be repurposed for the sessions, which are expected to last 45 minutes each over a three-day period.

“Studies have shown us that inserting five acupuncture needles into each ear once a day for three days can reduce relapse by 45 percent,” said Hoskins. “And if patients decide to continue with therapy after that, studies say their chances of relapse can reduce even further by 85 percent.”

The hospital plans to begin offering these therapy services by August 1, 2024. The sessions will occur once a month for six months following the initial series. The program’s success will be evaluated based on patient behavior analysis and a post-pharmaceutical survey to determine if medication regimens have lessened due to acupuncture therapy. Further implementation of the program will depend on this evaluation.

“Every single person deserves the right to lead a good life,” added Hoskins. "If applying this acupuncture can aid them in surviving and thriving, I don't think that anything could be better than that.” Currently housing 14 patients on her unit, Hoskins believes half could benefit from acupuncture therapy.

Sharpe Hospital operates all therapy services through a bundled rate included in patients’ treatment plans; no additional revenue sources are required for funding the pilot program.