CleanSlate Brings High-Quality Addiction Treatment to the Hard-Hit Westside Area of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, OH – CleanSlate Centers, a national leader in medication-assisted treatment for opioid and alcohol addictions, has opened an outpatient center in the Westside area of Columbus, Ohio, serving the Hilltop and surrounding neighborhoods. The new physician-led center, located at 4488 W. Broad Street, Suite 3, began treating patients yesterday.
As CleanSlate staff has reached out to community leaders in the Westside area, they have heard a consensus about the urgent need for responsible medication-assisted treatment in this hard-hit neighborhood.
“We have been told by law enforcement that the largest percentage of first responder runs in the city are going to the Westside,” said Autumn Yasher, Center Manager for CleanSlate’s new Columbus center. “You can see discarded heroin needles on any block in the area. The Columbus City Health Department and other community stakeholders have indicated the tremendous need for quality providers to come to the Westside and help the people of this area.”
The Rev. Nancy Day-Achauer is one of many local leaders who has welcomed CleanSlate to the Westside. “I am excited about the opening of CleanSlate in our community,” said Day-Achauer, who serves as Director of Addiction Ministries for the United Methodist Church, Capitol Area South District. “The Westside needs programs like CleanSlate’s, which offers a well-rounded treatment approach to meet the various needs of people suffering from substance use disorder. I am particularly excited about the treatment options for pregnant women. CleanSlate is a welcome addition to the community.”
“As a Law Enforcement Officer for over 25 years and the Community Liaison for the Hilltop area for almost 4 years, I have not seen such a paralyzing addiction as this one in my career,” said Columbus Police Officer Brian K. Newsmen. “The need for more treatment centers is crucial in the battle to save lives in the community. Having a new treatment center will increase the chance that we can get help to people and bring families back together. CleanSlate Centers coming to the Hilltop area is a blessing in this fight.”
Not another pill mill
The opioid epidemic in Ohio has devastated the state with overdose-death rates continuing to increase from 12 a day in 2016 to 14 a day in 2017. Amongst all states, Ohio’s overdose rates rose from 6.9 percent of the national total to 7.5 percent.
As the opioid epidemic overtakes individuals and their families, it also transforms the complexion of entire communities. The Greater Hilltop Area Commission traces much of the Westside’s problems to the opioid epidemic, driven by crime associated with drug dealers.
Fraud has also plagued the Columbus addiction community, with many local addiction treatment centers regularly forced to shut down due to Medicaid billing fraud and other crimes. These disruptions have left patients stranded when their treatment facilities are closed. Leaders of the Westside community agree that there need to be more trusted providers within reach that accept walk-ins and Medicaid.
“Despite the huge prevalence of overdoses in the Westside, this part of Columbus has been a treatment recovery desert,” said Joan Erwin, Senior VP of Expansion Operations for CleanSlate. “While there are some cash-only providers throughout the region, that doesn’t mean that people are getting well. We see time and again that recovery rates increase when people can easily access affordable, convenient, high-quality treatment. CleanSlate will offer that to the Westside neighborhood.”
CleanSlate has treated more than 35,000 patients over the past decade, with over 11,000 patients currently in treatment across the country in 10 states and Washington, D.C. The company’s program of care includes appropriate medication-assisted treatment (MAT) prescribed by licensed medical providers, as well as clear accountability, supportive counseling and care coordination. CleanSlate is actively growing its footprint to expand much-needed access to outpatient medication treatment for addiction.
Honoring a commitment to Columbus
This is CleanSlate’s second center in Ohio, following on the heels of CleanSlate’s recent center opening in Lewis Center, with a third center in Springfield, Ohio scheduled to be opened in January. When delays stalled the opening of the Columbus center, CleanSlate seized the opportunity to open a center in nearby Lewis Center, but never lost sight of its initial commitment to open a center directly in the Westside.
“We stayed the course to honor our commitment right here, even though Lewis Center is 30 minutes away,” said Sarita Salzberg, M.D., a physician at CleanSlate in Columbus. “We recognize the importance of meeting patients where they’re at, and we know that many prospective patients in the Westside face challenges with transportation. So one month after opening our center in Lewis County, we are here opening a center in the Westside.”
(Pictured, L-R: Autumn L. Yasher, MBA, Center Manager, CleanSlate; Ayanna Grace, CEO/Founder, Aspiring Grace; and Lisa Bayes, Care Coordinator, CleanSlate.)
CleanSlate’s Westside center is located in a building owned by Dr. Robert Pema, an ENT-otolaryngologist physician in Columbus, Ohio affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area.
“This is a beautiful site and we’re grateful to serve patients from the former location of such an esteemed leader of the community,” said Yasher. “We hope that CleanSlate can likewise become an integrated and trusted member of the Westside neighborhood so that we can save as many lives as possible.”
“I am wishing this center the best of luck,” said Newsmen, “and I hope that we can be strong partners in saving lives and building a strong community. God Bless.”
To find out more details about CleanSlate’s center in Columbus, click here. To make an appointment, call 833-505-4673.
About CleanSlate
A pioneer and leader in outpatient addiction medicine, CleanSlate is a rapidly expanding national medical group that provides treatment for the chronic disease of addiction, primarily opioid and alcohol use disorders. Founded in 2009 in response to the country’s growing opioid epidemic, CleanSlate’s physician-led offices utilize medication treatment and related therapies to treat patients who suffer from addiction and associated disorders, adhering to the highest quality, evidence-based practices.
Learn more about CleanSlate at www.cleanslatecenters.com, and sign up for our newsletter to receive regular insights about addiction and the opioid epidemic.
To schedule an appointment at any CleanSlate Ohio addiction treatment center, please visit https://www.cleanslatecenters.com to find the center nearest you. All CleanSlate centers accept walk-ins.
For media inquiries, please contact Amy Brunson at abrunson@cleanslatecenters.com
Also read:
