By Wayne Gates
A new medication-assisted addiction treatment center is now open in Georgetown.
Pinnacle Treatment Centers expects to treat up to 75 patients a day at the new facility at 303 E. Cherry Street in Georgetown. The company has 100 treatment locations in seven states, including 15 locations in Ohio.
Ohio has a significant issue with addiction and the need was not being met by the number of providers,” said Pinnacle CEO Joe Pritchard.
When asked why the company chose Georgetown, he said “We looked at areas of the state where the needs of the population were not being met. A lot of those areas are in rural parts of the state where there is a lot of need but not a lot of services.”
Pritchard said that the Georgetown Clinic will treat between 50 and 75 patients a day on an outpatient basis.
The clinic will accept Medicaid and Medicare as well as private insurance.
According to information provided by Pinnacle, “Medication units are treatment facilities which administer medicine such as methadone and buprenorphine in an effort to curb withdrawal symptoms from heroin and opioid addiction; prevent relapse; and quell the physical discomfort that frequently accompanies recovery from opioid use disorder.”
Pritchard said that he and the company are ready to make a difference in the community.
“Our goal is to provide as much service to as many people as possible and to remove all obstacles for treatment. One of those obstacles is geography. Having a treatment center in Georgetown allows local people to access care,” he said.
Pinnacle also noted that of the top ten counties in Ohio for per-capita overdose deaths, only Montgomery County was urban. The rest, like Brown County consistently holding the number two spot on that list, are rural or suburban.
“We want our patients to be able to find and hold jobs, re-enter society, care for their families and become financially stable members of their communities,” added Holly Broce, MHA, LCADC, vice president of Pinnacle’s Opioid Treatment Program Division.
“Driving two to four hours per day to the closest clinic to obtain life-saving treatment would interrupt someone’s ability to maintain a normal life, and does the opposite of what we want MAT to do. That’s why med units like this are so important. They provide a bridge to services and new hope to those struggling.”
Pritchard said that people with a substance use disorder are not the only people who suffer when addiction goes untreated.
“At least ten other people are affected by one person with an addiction and those people affect other people. The entire community is affected by the illness of addiction,” he said.
“We feel privileged to be able to help drive an impactful solution.”
When asked who he would like to thank as the clinic opens, Pritchard said, “The village leadership, other stakeholders and community agencies who have worked to bring treatment services to the area.”
Pinnacle plans to open additional medication units in Ohio, likely in 2021.
Anyone who would like to take a personal tour of the new clinic can call (937) 483-4180.
The unit is open Mondays through Fridays, 6- 9:30 a.m., and on Saturdays 6- 9 a.m. Anyone needing a free confidential assessment can call 937-483-4181.
For more information, visit www.pinnacletreatment.com.
