In this episode of ShiftShapers, host David A. Saltzman speaks with Joanna Conti, founder and chairman of the nonprofit Conquer Addiction. Joanna’s journey began when her own daughter faced life-threatening alcoholism, prompting a years-long search for effective treatment—and an urgent realization: no one was measuring long-term success.

Joanna shares the results of her groundbreaking research following over 100,000 addiction patients, and exposes the massive gaps in transparency, accountability, and outcomes in today’s treatment centers. She also unveils how employers and families can now access verified recovery data to choose truly effective care—and how a new bundled care model is reshaping the rehab industry.

Conquer Addiction Website: https://conquer-addiction.org

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🔑 Key Takeaways from This Episode

📌 Most Treatment Centers Don’t Track Outcomes
Joanna explains why fewer than 1% of rehabs conduct post-treatment follow-ups—and how Conquer Addiction is changing that.

📌 Verified Success Rates Vary Widely
While the average recovery rate is 36%, Joanna’s research shows some centers achieve 50%+ and others less than 15%.

📌 Aligning Incentives with Accountability
New bundled-rate models require rehabs to offer relapse support—creating better outcomes and real transparency.

📌 Employers Bear the Cost
Substance use disorders can cost employers $25,000 per year per employee—before treatment even begins.

📌 A National Claims-Based Registry Is Coming
Joanna’s team is building a predictive model using de-identified claims data to rank treatment center effectiveness nationwide.

📌 Hope and Progress
Joanna’s personal story ends with hope: her daughter is thriving after 13 years in recovery—and now four kids of her own.

⏱️ In This Episode

00:00 Introduction to Treatment Duration and Outcomes

13:59 Accessing Treatment Center Data

14:31 Challenges in the Treatment Industry

14:51 Aligning Incentives for Better Outcomes

16:32 Financial Struggles of Treatment Centers

16:58 Using Data to Identify Effective Treatment Centers

17:56 The Role of Compliance and Legislation

18:35 Developing a National Claims Registry

19:28 Predictive Modeling for Treatment Effectiveness

20:40 Sharing Data with Rehabs and Payers

21:42 Future Goals and Conclusion