The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Hospital offering opioid addiction programs
ROME » Medications used to treat opioid addiction and alcohol dependence, such as suboxone, revia, naltrexone, and campral, are now available at Rome Memorial Hospital’s Community Recovery Center, through its new Medication-Assisted Treatment program. Located in downtown Rome at 264 W. Dominick St., the Community Recovery Center provides comprehensive support for adults and adolescents who want to regain control over their lives.
“With the increased opiate use within the community and the limited number of providers in the area, expanding access to Medication-Assisted Treatment became a priority for Rome Memorial Hospital’s Community Recovery Center,” said Program Director Ashlee Thompson, MSEd/CASAC. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.
“The medications can help relieve the withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings that cause chemical imbalances in the body,” Thompson said. “People abusing opiate pain medications and other substances often continue using because they don’t know how to cope with the very real symptoms of withdrawal.”
“Themedications are a tool to help break the cycle of addiction, so it’s easier for our clients to work on their sobriety with the help of counseling and behavioral therapies,” Thompson explained.
According to the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the slow adoption of these evidence-based treatment options for alcohol and opioid dependence is partly due to misconceptions about substituting one drug for another.
However, the prescribed medication operates to normalize brain chemistry, block the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, relieve physiological cravings, and normalize body functions without the negative effects of the abused drug.
“We are pleased to have two exceptional physicians working with us at the Community Recovery Center as we launch our new program to better meet the needs of the community,”
Thompson said. “Not only are they experienced in this field, but they have a passion for ensuring that people get the help that they need for successful and sustained recovery.”
Dr. Marcellus Cephas, has been named the new medical director for the Community Recovery Center. With more than 20 years of experience in mental health and substance use disorders treatment, Cephas has a particular interest in a holistic treatment approach. He is a board certified psychiatrist with suboxone certification. In addition, Dr. Vivienne Taylor, who is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics, will be providing medication assisted treatment at the center. Taylor developed a special interest in addiction medicine through her work with adults and adolescents in her primary care practice. Certified by the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuses Services, the Community Recovery Center is accepting new patients by appointment or during walk-in assessments Mondays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The center participates with most major insurance programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. A sliding scale fee is available for selfpay clients. For more information, call 315-334-4701.