BRENTWOOD, Tenn.– Spero Health, a CARF-accredited organization specializing in local, affordable, outpatient care for individuals suffering from substance use disorder, announced it is expanding into Tennessee with the opening of a new clinic located at 301 Wolverine Trail, Suite 200 in Smyrna. The Smyrna clinic, which marks the organization’s 24 th location, will open its doors May 1 st to start seeing patients. Appointments are currently being accepted and individuals are encouraged to come to the new clinic or call 615-751-0579 for more information. To ensure access to care is not an issue, Spero Health is enrolled with TennCare and accepting Medicaid as well as select commercial insurance plans.
Dr. Medhat Kalliny, who is board-certified in Family Medicine, board-eligible in Addiction Medicine, and holds appointments in various professional organizations including the American Society of Addiction Medicine, will be the Medical Director and lead physician at the Smyrna Spero Health clinic. “Spero Health is a transformative organization changing the landscape of addiction treatment by providing high-quality care to patients suffering from substance use disorders. It is my pleasure to be working in this community to help bring recovery home, removing treatment barriers and equipping individuals with the tools to improve their overall health to achieve sustained long-term recovery.”
Spero Health’s mission is to “ Save Lives, Instill Hope and Restore Relationships.” Its integrated approach uniquely combines both physical and behavioral healthcare services under one roof to treat the whole patient. This approach incorporates physician office visits, behavioral health counseling, recovery support services and patient and family education. Spero Health provides local and affordable care for more than 5,300 fellow human beings with clinics throughout Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. The Smyrna location will be the first Spero Health clinic in the state of Tennessee, in line with the organizational goals to open a network of clinics throughout Tennessee in 2019.
Spero Health’s decision to open in Smyrna was in direct response to the heavy demand for a comprehensive addiction treatment solution locally. In 2017 the Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,775 Tennesseans died from drug overdose, which was the highest annual number since reporting began. More people died as a result of drug overdose than automobile crashes, with street drugs like heroin and fentanyl being the key driver. According to the CDC, for every one person who dies there are 851 people in various stages of misuse, abuse and treatment. That’s at least 1,074,813 Tennesseans, or one in six.
“Recovery is possible for everyone, but the right supports must be in place,” said Steve Priest, CEO of Spero Health. “Individuals need fast access to coordinated and integrated treatment, and care needs to be individualized focusing on disease management rather than a certain time frame. Spero Health’s goal is to engage patients where they are in their journey and personalize the program to meet their specific needs so they can stabilize, allowing for interventions to support sustained recovery efforts,” said Priest.
Dr. Kalliny added, “Addiction cannot be fought in isolation, and we desire strong community partnerships in Smyrna so that we can be a resource and a place for hope and healing.”
The Smyrna location currently has several job openings. Spero Health is seeking qualified counselors, social workers and physicians for the new location. Applicants can view a list of job openings at https://sperohealth.com/careers/.