OhioHealth Launches Comprehensive Addiction Medicine Program for Southeast Ohio
OhioHealth has launched a comprehensive Addiction Medicine program, bringing an unprecedented level of coordinated care to individuals and families in southeast Ohio struggling with substance use disorders. The four-year, $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has allowed OhioHealth to build a first-of-its-kind program for the region.
Christopher Meyer, DO, an addiction medicine specialist for OhioHealth in Athens, said he saw an ongoing need for medically supported addiction care both at OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital and throughout the community. Vinayak Shukla, MD, co-project director with Paula Kobelt, DNP, RN-BC, for OhioHealth’s Addiction Medicine program, agreed and worked with the OhioHealth Research Institute to secure funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Impact Awards program to develop a program based in Athens.
The program is modeled after successful OhioHealth Addiction Medicine comprehensive treatment programs operating at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Doctors Hospital, OhioHealth Marion General Hospital and OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, but is designed to address the unique challenges of treating substance use disorders (SUD) in a rural region. It integrates hospital-based consultations, outpatient treatment, telemedicine, counseling, withdrawal management, medication-assisted treatment, care transitions and community outreach into a single coordinated approach.
“This program fills a critical gap in treatment resources for the region,” said Dr. Shukla. “We now have the ability to provide comprehensive care that connects hospital services with community support organizations, eliminating gaps in care and helping individuals access treatment and recovery services.”
Strong Community Ties
An innovative part of the program’s design is its integration with community partners that regularly interact with individuals facing addiction. The program team works closely with:
• John W. Clem Recovery House (men’s recovery residence)
• Serenity Grove (women’s recovery residence)
• Timothy House (shelter for unhoused adults)
• My Sister’s Place (domestic violence shelter)
• Recovery Connections of Southeast Ohio
• Athens County Children Services
• Athens County Public Libraries
• Athens City-County Health Department
“These partnerships allow people to access care from multiple points, not just through the Emergency Department, but from community agencies where many individuals first seek support,” said Meyer. “People don’t always just walk into a clinic when they need help.”
The program’s community-based nurse practitioner and community substance use navigator regularly meet people where they are, including shelters, recovery centers, public health sites or through secure virtual meetings.
Care Across Settings
Inside OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, patients admitted for overdose, withdrawal or other complications from substance use disorder receive immediate assessment, treatment and a plan for follow up care.
“About 20 percent of patients admitted to any hospital in the country are struggling with substance use disorders, oftentimes under the radar,” Dr. Meyer said. “We’re here to offer treatment and a path toward recovery.”
After stabilization, the team arranges follow-up care, which, depending on a patient’s needs, might include partial hospitalization, rehabilitation, or outpatient treatment. “We also reach out to all our patients after hospital discharge to address any barriers they may face in connecting with follow up care,” noted Shukla.
Outpatient clinic patients can access counseling, medication-assisted treatment and ongoing support through in-person visits or telehealth.
Members of the OhioHealth Addiction Medicine team pose outside of O’Bleness Hospital. L to R: Shari Blackwell, Community Healthcare Navigator, Cheryl Taylor, Emergency Department Substance Use Navigator, Christopher Meyer, D.O.. Monica Dunfee, CNP, Haylee Sprouse, Clinical Nurse Manager, Bethaney Carroll, Inpatient Substance Use Navigator
Patient-Centered Support
In addition to evidence-based treatment, the program emphasizes patient-centered care and addresses barriers that can prevent people from accessing services. Staff provide personal care items, such as clothing and dental hygiene products, as well as harm reduction supplies including naloxone and fentanyl test strips. A free community naloxone distribution table is also available on the O’Bleness Hospital campus. The program offers transportation assistance to help patients attend appointments and, starting in 2026, will provide medication vouchers for uninsured or underinsured patients to obtain treatment for substance use disorders at no cost.
Robust Staffing
The grant funds seven employees dedicated solely to addiction treatment and care coordination:
• A part time Addiction Medicine physician
• Two nurse practitioners (one hospital-based, one community-based)
• Two substance use navigators (one hospital-based, one community-based)
• A counselor
• A nurse manager
The breadth of this staffing is uncommon in most communities and is especially significant in a rural region like Athens County, according to Meyer.
“A Huge Step Forward”
“This program greatly expands resources available in Athens County to serve individuals and families who struggle with substance use disorders,” Dr. Meyer said. “The county has never benefited from such an accumulation of resources. It is a huge step forward and the only program of its kind in southeastern Ohio.”
LeeAnn Lucas-Helber, president of O’Bleness Hospital, said the launch represents a meaningful investment in the health of the region. “By combining hospital care with strong partnerships across the region, we can provide hope, resources and a path to recovery for those who need it most,” she said. “Our community deserves this level of support.”
