SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- eGetgoing, the only nationally accredited online alcohol and drug treatment program, has won the 2002 eHealthcare Leadership Award Gold Medal for best websites, achieving the Gold medal for Best Physician/Clinician-Focused Site.
    Dr. Barry Karlin, CEO of CRC Health Corporation, of which eGetgoing is the online affiliate, stated, "We are proud of the progress of eGetgoing.  Adding to CRC's 55 facilities for traditional drug and alcohol treatment, we know we must reach further if we are to close the treatment gap.  eGetgoing's Internet-based online technology provides the opportunity to do something revolutionary in addressing drug and alcohol treatment needs in America.  We are grateful to eHealthcare for understanding and recognizing our work."
    eGetgoing is accredited by both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).  eGetgoing recently concluded its first year with an outstanding 70% of participants completing their treatment -- more than double the success rate for traditional outpatient programs.
    Through eGetgoing and its website, http://www.eGetgoing.com, now in operation over a year, adults with substance abuse problems communicate directly with a trained counselor over 12-24 sessions plus obtain lifetime aftercare, and are able to utilize streaming video, games, graphics, and information provided by eGetgoing.  A new program specifically for teens, teenGetgoing, was launched November 13, 2002 (see http://www.teenGetgoing.com).
    The 2002 eHealthcare Leadership Awards Winners represented 16 industry classifications.  Sites receiving the 2002 eHealthcare Leadership Awards were selected from more than 1,000 entries.  Eighty experts in healthcare and the Internet judged the entries.
    CRC Health Corporation, one of the nation's largest systems of chemical dependency facilities, was recently cited by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as "one of the top five fastest growing companies" in the Silicon Valley.