As the number of opioid overdoses continues climbing in Northeast Florida, a new clinic focused on battling addiction is opening in Springfield, just north of downtown Jacksonville.
It’s the fifth CleanSlate clinic to open in the Sunshine State. There are clinics in Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Plantation. The national health company has a total of 39 clinics in eight states.
It’s clear Jacksonville’s CleanSlate center is a work in progress. The walls smell of fresh paint, and carpet is being replaced but manager Jody Hanks says it’s open for business.
“We go into the areas that have the greatest need. So, Jacksonville of course [has] a big deal with overdoses. There are a number of overdoses. The fire department is running on them all the time, ” he said.
First responders say they get at least two suspected overdose calls per hour. That’s in Duval, the county with the state’s highest rate of deaths from fentanyl.
CleanSlate has a social worker, a nurse practitioner and an addiction specialist. The small team will work to connect patients to therapy and treat them with anti-addiction meds.
Dr. Gregory McNamara is the center’s medical director. He said the worsening epidemic led him to focus on addiction treatment full-time.
“CleanSlate’s primary purpose is to expand care to patients with addiction problems, particularly the underserved population,” he said.
McNamara said they use every tool — from having a social worker on staff to connecting patients with group therapy and government programs to administering anti-addiction drugs like Vivitrol or Suboxone.
Patients can self-refer or they can be sent to the outpatient clinic by another doctor. CleanSlate accepts all forms of insurance and negotiates payment plans with the uninsured.
Ryan Benk can be reached at rbenk@wjct.org, 904-358-6319 or on Twitter at @RyanMichaelBenk.
