EARLEVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders and almost 23 million Americans struggle with addiction issues, Bracebridge Hall, a Recovery Centers of America (RCA) company, recently marked its opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and appearance by 20/20 Anchor Elizabeth Vargas.
During the ribbon cutting, Maryland Department of Mental Health and Hygiene’s Executive Director of the Behavioral Health Administration Dr. Barbara Bazron, commented on the need for facilities like Bracebridge Hall in Maryland as 1,089 lives were lost to opioid overdoses in the first nine months of 2016. “Maryland is experiencing an unprecedented addiction crisis. We have a responsibility to address this crisis with everything we can,” she said. “For instance, our state has enacted several measures we believe will help our communities thrive including implementing peer recovery specialists in our emergency rooms and a prescription drug monitoring program, passing a standing order for Naloxone availability and training, and working to move away from only treating parts of the person instead of the whole individual to address co-occurring disorders.”
Following the ribbon cutting, guests gathered for remarks from RCA CEO J. Brian O’Neill who has dedicated the latter portion of his career to creating the finest inpatient and outpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities in the world. “I’ve had almost 40 years of helping people get into treatment as a concerned citizen,” he shared. “And the lack of quality facilities available in our nation’s communities makes me ill. It’s no wonder we often send those struggling with addiction issues thousands of miles from home. But imagine you had to do that to obtain quality medical care for any health crisis. That thought alone is absurd.”
The Earleville, Maryland-based facility officially opened on October 5. Guests were introduced to Bracebridge Hall’s programs at the October 26 Open House and enjoyed a traditional afternoon garden lunch, personalized tours, and information on RCA’s clinical programs.
Dr. Barbara Kistemacher, CEO of Bracebridge Hall, shared feedback from the facility’s earliest patients and her team about clinical programs and quality of treatment. “Our patients have recognized the individual attention they each receive, and notice our staff treats them with empathy while clearly explaining what strategies they want to implement in their clinical programs and why. Our team has quickly become a family that is passionate about helping people find meaningful recovery, and as a result we become family to the patients who walk through our doors.”
ABC’s Elizabeth Vargas, who currently serves as the co-anchor of ABC’s 20/20 with David Muir, joined the event to share her story of anxiety, addiction, and recovery with attendees.
“I’ve dealt with anxiety for most of my life, but I never realized how my anxiety would predispose me to alcoholism,” Vargas shared. “The NIAA argues that anxiety is a long-term effect of long-term drinking, and that people who struggle with alcoholism report their anxiety heightens when they stop drinking. As a result they are more susceptible to relapse.”
“Addiction is a disease and it is important we recognize how many people this disease leaves wounded in its wake. Recovery only becomes possible when family and loved ones are part of the process and learn that addiction is not a snap decision or a decision at all. Removing this stigma will help more people who might need help ask for it,” Vargas continued.
Treatment regimens at Bracebridge Hall incorporate yoga, spinning, tennis, music, and art therapies, peer recovery support services, personal fitness training, and massage therapy. Bracebridge also offers an executive component geared toward business leaders who need to run their business while in treatment. The facility will provide access to technology, and other amenities to suit this population’s needs while patients will have access to conveniences commensurate with a five-star hotel, including farm-to-table dining, beautifully decorated lounge areas and rooms, a business center, a heliport, and contact to private aircraft transportation.
“Opioids provide a full speed, 1,000 miles per hour race to the grave,” O’Neill told guests. “We don’t have time to debate this point or be gentle in our approach. We have to do exceptional things to address this exceptional problem.”
For photos from the event, please click here.
For more information visit http://www.rcabracebridge.com/ or call 1-888-RECOVERY now.
About Recovery Centers of America
Based in King of Prussia, PA, Recovery Centers of America is committed to advocating for the 22+ million Americans suffering from substance use disorders. The company, which is opening treatment centers throughout the Northeast, is transforming the way treatment is delivered in an industry in desperate need of change. Recovery Centers of America’s neighborhood-based centers for addiction medicine are designed based on the latest scientific research that indicates sustained recovery is more likely when patients stay connected to and supported by family and friends while building other, ongoing support networks. By allowing patients to receive treatment in an atmosphere more akin to a college campus with Starbucks-like appeal, Recovery Centers of America helps overcome the stigma of addiction and its treatment, an essential component to assisting individuals in treatment and entering long term meaningful recovery.
