Friday, Oct. 12, 2018
Family Health Center of Marshfield, Inc., a member of Marshfield Clinic Health System, welcomes community members to tour the new Marshfield Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center, 214 W. Second St., Marshfield.
A grand opening to commemorate the new community resource is planned for noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25. The public is invited to come and share refreshments and participate in a ribbon cutting by the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Sheila Weix, Family Health Center director of substance abuse services, said the new center reinforces Marshfield Clinic Health System's commitment to helping people battling alcohol and other substance use disorders by providing onsite counseling services and medication assisted treatment for adults.
"Meeting the health care needs of the community, including helping those with addiction, is our No. 1 priority," Weix said. "Our new center will provide valuable outpatient services in a calm, welcoming and confidential environment. The care is delivered by experienced addiction counselors, as well as nurses, physicians and support staff with specialized training in the treatment of addiction."
Current staff members include:
- Laure Ann Blanchard, licensed professional counselor with a substance use disorder specialty, has worked in central Wisconsin for many years.
- Paula Hensel, a nurse practitioner specializing in addiction medicine, is the first nurse practitioner in the area to receive federal Drug Enforcement Agency certification to give buprenorphine for medication-supported treatment.
- Dr. Celestino Balinghasay, psychiatrist addictionologist, serves as the medical director for this program.
The center will offer care coordination and contact with the Recovery Community as part of treatment, as well as other local community resources. It also offers special services for pregnant women. People can access treatment through self-referral, referral by a primary care provider, follow-up after a hospitalization or can just walk in. The center works with low-income patients and commercial insurance.
"The only thing required to access help is a desire to not use today," Weix said.
Treatment for adolescents will be added as staffing levels increase in the coming months.
The Marshfield center is the latest commitment by the Health System to help people combat alcohol and substance use disorder. Family Health Center opened the Minocqua Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center in November 2016.
"Our volunteer community board understands the needs of our communities and has prioritized expansion of treatment resources in partnership with our state and federal funding partners," said Greg Nycz, Family Health Center executive director. "We are pleased that we can provide this resource to the Marshfield Community."
Marshfield Clinic Health System
Marshfield Clinic Health System is a $2.2 billion integrated health system serving Wisconsin with about 10,000 employees including over 1,200 providers comprising 86 specialties, health plan, and research and education programs. Primary operations include Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield Medical Center hospitals in Marshfield, Eau Claire, Rice Lake and Ladysmith, Marshfield Children's Hospital, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Security Health Plan and Marshfield Clinic Health System Foundation.
Family Health Center of Marshfield, Inc. (FHC)
Family Health Center of Marshfield, Inc. (FHC), is a federally and state funded community health center dedicated to reducing health disparities, improving access to high quality health care services for the underserved and enhancing community health. FHC helps patients with doctor visits, prescription drugs, dental care and more.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number H80CS00792/Health Center Cluster for $6,607,686 (93.9% financed with nongovernmental sources). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
