MARSHFIELD – Family Health Center of Marshfield, Inc., a member of Marshfield Clinic Health System, welcomes community members to tour the new Marshfield Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center, 214 W. Second St., Marshfield.
A grand opening to commemorate the new community resource will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Oct. 25. The public is invited.
Sheila Weix, Family Health Center director of substance abuse services, said the new center reinforces Marshfield Clinic Health System’s commitment to helping people battling alcohol and other substance use disorders by providing onsite counseling services and medication assisted treatment for adults.
“Meeting the health care needs of the community, including helping those with addiction, is our No. 1 priority,” Weix said.
Current staff members include:
- Laure Ann Blanchard, licensed professional counselor with a substance use disorder specialty, has worked in central Wisconsin for many years.
- Paula Hensel, a nurse practitioner specializing in addiction medicine, is the first nurse practitioner in the area to receive federal Drug Enforcement Agency certification to give buprenorphine for medication-supported treatment.
- Dr. Celestino Balinghasay, psychiatrist addictionologist, serves as the medical director for this program.
The center will offer care coordination and contact with the Recovery Community as part of treatment, as well as other local community resources. It also offers special services for pregnant women. People can access treatment through self-referral, referral by a primary care provider, follow-up after a hospitalization or just walk in. The center works with low-income patients and commercial insurance.
“The only thing required to access help is a desire to not use today,” Weix said.
Treatment for adolescents will be added as staffing levels increase in the coming months.
