GRASONVILLE — Grasonville Health Services celebrated their grand opening this month with a vendor fair featuring other local services in the area. Clinic sponsor, Moshe Markowitz explained, “We have been welcomed with open arms here in Queen Anne’s County! There is nothing like this supporting the local community.”
The Program’s mission is to provide a range of treatment services to adults residing in Queen Anne’s County and surrounding counties, whose health and well-being has been impacted by the use of drugs. “It’s a service that is desperately needed here on the Eastern Shore” Kristy Conklin, Clinical Program director said.
The clinic located at 101 Drummer Drive in Grasonville will focus on outpatient, intensive outpatient and health home — a healthcare delivery approach that focuses on the whole person and integrates and coordinates primary care, behavioral health, other healthcare, and community and social support services.
According to Markowitz, providing a modern approach to opioid treatments as well as a friendly and welcoming environment where patients feel safe improves patient outcomes overall.
In recent years, opioid treatment facilities have undergone significant transformations to better address the complexities of opioid use disorder. These changes reflect a more integrated and patient-centered approach, aiming to provide comprehensive and accessible care.
Traditionally, opioid treatment facilities focused on detoxification and abstinence-based models. However, modern facilities now employ an integrated care approach, combining medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with counseling, behavioral therapies and other support services. This holistic method addresses not just the physical dependence on opioids but also the psychological and social factors contributing to addiction.
Today, MAT is widely accepted as the gold standard for treating opioid use disorder. Facilities now routinely use medications such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings, significantly improving treatment retention and outcomes, explains the professionals.
Access to treatment used to be restricted to specialized clinics, often posing a challenge for patients in rural or underserved areas like Queen Anne’s county. Modern facilities have improved accessibility through office-based opioid treatment (OBOT), where certified physicians can prescribe buprenorphine. This is the model for the Grasonville Health Services facility. Additionally, telemedicine has expanded, allowing patients to receive care remotely, increasing convenience and reach.
Facilities like GHS emphasize personalized treatment plans, tailored to each patient’s medical history, co-occurring mental health disorders, and social support systems. This individualized approach enhances the effectiveness of treatment.
By creating a physical location on Kent Island and offering tele-health services, GHS is focused on this niche in the Queen Anne’s County area. Markowitz remarked, “The next closest facility is in either Easton, or Annapolis, making access to these types of services more challenging.” Challenges that have been shown to affect patient outcomes in a negative manner. It is the hope of Markowitz and his staff at GHS that they can help fill this void.
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