(Joplin, MO) – Ozark Center’s New Directions has a new address.
The drug treatment center recently relocated to a larger building at 3220 S. Wisconsin Ave. in Joplin. The move allows for increased capacity for its Outpatient Substance Use treatment services.
A ribbon cutting and open house will take place from 3:00 to 5:00 pm on Friday, June 9. Tours will be given, and light refreshments will be served.
The reasons behind the move, said Vicky Mieseler, Chief Administrative Officer for Ozark Center, are becoming more and more evident with each passing year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 75 percent of the more than 90,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid, while more than 82 percent of those opioid deaths involved synthetic opioids and added mixtures such as fentanyl and xylazine.
“With these increased risks across the nation coming into our area, Ozark Center is staying ahead of this deadly trend by providing evaluation and treatment services for a broad range of substances, including Medication Assisted Treatment options (such as buprenorphine, which lowers opioid cravings), overdose education and access to Narcan, for clients and their families,” Mieseler said.
New Directions provides substance use services, treatment, and support networks for Joplin area residents beneath an umbrella of separate-but-interrelated components, including substance use, recovery support and anger management programs.
Overall, the Wisconsin Avenue location has triple the amount of square footage than the previous space, Mieseler said. New or relocated features include:
- A new pharmacy, complete with a drive-through window, where trained physicians, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants can prescribe medicines. The pharmacy allows patients to obtain their prescriptions while getting them filled in the same location.
- Increased capacity to help more clients seeking Medicated Assisted Treatment options, with nursing support space quadrupled.
- The expanded space allows for two large, open client lobbies, spacious hallways, new group rooms, and larger treatment offices.
- The Resident Psychiatrist training facility – which trains and educates psychiatrists to provide excellent care – features a state-of-the-art learning environment with a lecture hall, recreation room and library. Overall, the number of psychiatrist residents will increase from 12 to 16.
“The new building increases the opportunity for us to provide cutting-edge treatment options in reducing substance use impact in our community,” Mieseler said.
About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2020, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System the Best Hospital in Southwest Missouri for 2020-2021. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 80 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.
About Ozark Center:
Ozark Center is based in Joplin, Missouri and has been an entity of Freeman Health System since 1996. It has been providing comprehensive behavioral health services to children, adults and families since 1965 in an area that includes more than 450,000 residents from the Four States. Ozark Center continually looks for innovative ways to address the behavioral health needs of the community and promote awareness of behavioral health issues in an effort to eliminate the discrimination associated with it. For more information, visit ozarkcenter.com or call 417.347.7600.
Reference:
Ozark Center
Freeman Health System
417.347.7600
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