New Day Recovery and Behavioral Health Director of Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems, Marcy Rosenbaum, recognized for her knowledge and experiences to serve as a member on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s Advisory Committee on Opioids and Addiction.
Rosenbaum said, “I am honored to represent Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Opioids and Addiction.”
The Advisory Committee on Opioids and Addiction is a newly formed committee for the Commonwealth of Virginia that will focus its efforts on ending the opioid and drug overdose epidemic that is plaguing Virginia. Governor Ralph Northam recognizes this public health crisis and asked Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Daniel Carey, MD and Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Brian Moran, to co-chair the Governor’s Executive Leadership Team on Opioids and Addiction. Together, they lead the executive branch agencies in developing comprehensive policy to responses to this crisis.
“This is such a huge honor for Marcy and Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems. We are so proud of all the hard work, perseverance, and dedication that she has put into making our New Day Recovery such a successful program for the people in our area that are battling substance misuse and addiction of all kinds,” Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems, Bryan Haynes said.
Chairman of Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems’ Board of Directors, Mike Leake said, “We’re pleased at the governor’s selection of Marcy Rosenbaum for the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Opioids and Addiction. Marcy has worked tirelessly in the New Day Recovery Program which is dedicated to assisting patients with opioids issues. It is very uplifting to see our governor recognize the quality and commitment Marcy has long demonstrated to all of us at Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems.”
New Day Recovery (NDR) is a team-based program that is dedicated to providing high quality treatment services to help with the illness of substance abuse, specifically opioids and offers office based opioid treatment (OBOT). The staff, who consists of professionals who are qualified and trained in the treatment of addiction, is committed to caring and promoting dignity and self-respect in and for each and every patient, and provide the opportunity to obtain treatment and embrace recovery with the least amount of disruption in everyday life. Each treatment is personalized from intake to discharge, to assure that the patient receives necessary medical and counseling attention. As a result, the patient can continue to receive support from the community and from their family. The staff came together to provide services to a need that was being underserved in Southwest Virginia where opioid addiction is running rampant.
“About 3 years ago SVCHS became concerned about the rising epidemic of opioid use disorder, overdose deaths, lack of community resources, and the questionable treatment provided at cash only addiction clinics. We decided to create our own treatment program and offer cutting-edge medical integrative care to heal lives broken by the illness of addiction,” Rosenbaum said. “From the beginning, it has been important for NDR to provide an authentic recovery community with a significant amount of required counseling combined with medication assisted treatment and care management services. This is the most effective and recommended treatment according to both the medical and behavioral health authorities. NDR has a dedicated and well trained treatment team of medical and behavioral health staff that treat our patients with the care, dignity, and respect they deserve. In rural Southwest Virginia, the illness of addiction permeates all areas of a person’s life and at NDR we offer a holistic approach while encompassing the physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects of our patients’ needs. “
Since the program’s opening on July 8, 2016, the program has had more than 300 referrals and more than 100 patients to enter the program proving the courage of the staff to overcome and face the negative adversities presented. Just in the past year, the program has seen 190 referrals. Currently, the program is serving 95 patients with a capacity of 100 patients. The program is steadily receiving weekly referrals from courts, doctors, Department of Social Services, and self-referrals. The program is planning to leave around five slots open in case of high-risk cases needing immediate help, such as pregnant women.
“As part of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Opioids and Addiction, I plan to share my experiences about substance use disorder treatment in Southwest Virginia in hopes of increasing the numbers of people in our area who can find recovery from this devastating illness,” Rosenbaum said.
The first meeting for the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Opioids and Addiction will occur on Friday, September 28, 2018 in Richmond, Va.