As the COVID-19 pandemic reached Massachusetts, the need for addiction treatment was greater than ever. We sprang into action and, in April, opened a segregated COVID-19 unit specialized for clients undergoing detoxification for drug and/or alcohol addiction who have also tested positive for COVID-19.
Recently, the unit was featured on WCVB!
“We actually had the perfect space. A 15-bed isolated wing that has its own entrance,” said Kristin Nolan, senior vice president of behavioral health, to reporter Emily Reimer at WCVB.
Even with all the unknowns surrounding the coronavirus, our incredible nursing staff jumped at the chance to work on the unit and help address this challenging situation. Nurse AnnMarie Chimera recalls her own experiences to WCVB:
“We’re interacting with them just like we would on a regular nursing unit,” she said. “For them to come in and kind of forget the world around them and just focus on themselves, their addiction. To be able to work through that and have that one on one time with their counselor, I think that is definitely the silver lining.”
Our Westborough-based unit has served 60 clients so far. Many of those clients continued their addiction treatment with us after their mandatory two-week quarantine and two negative COVID-19 tests, using the opportunity to pursue a lifetime of recovery.
For the full article, visit WCVB’s website, here.
