The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published overdose death data from June 2019 through 2020, and the report was grim. Over 81,000 people died from drug overdoses, a 21% jump making it the deadliest year for United States. Responding directly to this urgent need, Spero Health, a national leader in providing care for individuals struggling with substance use disorders announced it will open a new clinic in Cambridge, OH. The new clinic located at 1750 Southgate Parkway, opened Friday, June 11th, and will offer a combination of in-person and telehealth visits. Spero Health has a growing network of over 55 clinics throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Indiana, providing care for more than 9,000 patients. Individuals who need addiction treatment services are encouraged to walk-in for help or call 740-781-0320 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Spero Health accepts Ohio Medicaid and most commercial insurance plans.
The statistics from 2020 point to worsening trends regionally in states like Ohio which already had some of the nation’s highest overdose fatalities. As these deaths continue to increase, Spero Health remains committed to bringing lifesaving treatment to areas most in need with continued plans to expand rapidly throughout 2021. Speaking about plans for new clinic openings, Spero Health’s CEO, Steve Priest said, “We have no time to waste. Over 450,000 Americans have died from drug overdose in the last 20 years, and the pandemic made everything worse. It inflamed already out of control public health crises – drug addiction and drug overdose deaths. Many Americans experienced new mental health challenges and pre-existing ones have worsened. Because of this, some of those affected have turned to self-harm, substance abuse, or have increased their tolerance to or dependence on harmful substances. It is critical for communities to have access to life-saving addiction treatment options, and we are working very hard to make that happen in as many places as possible. We are especially excited to welcome Elisha Clark to the local treatment team in Cambridge. She is a well-known Nurse Practitioner and lifelong resident of Guernsey County who uniquely understands how important it is for local community members to have quick access to comprehensive treatment options and resources.”
To get a better understanding of services offered by Spero Health, Senior VP of Clinical Services for Spero Health, David Hayden said, “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. Because it can be a matter of life and death, we want to make it as easy as we can for those that need addiction treatment services to have immediate access to a treatment team that consist of doctors, counselors and recovery specialists, close to home. It is also important that we create avenues in which we connect with those that need help by providing innovative ways to deliver comprehensive services. Virtual appointments are one way we do this, which gives patients the opportunity to keep close connections with their counselors and physicians’ on-line and over the phone making it easy to get help from essentially anywhere they are.”