INTEGRIS announced plans to construct a state-of-the-art addiction and mental illness treatment center in Edmond. The INTEGRIS Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery, as it will be called, is scheduled to open in early 2019.
OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 5, 2017) – INTEGRIS announced today plans to begin construction of a state-of-the-art addiction and mental illness treatment center in Edmond, which will be largely funded through an ambitious $35 million campaign led by passionate community members. The INTEGRIS Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery, as it will be called, is scheduled to open in early 2019.
For more information or to make a donation, visit the INTEGRIS Health Foundation.
More than 150 statewide donors have already committed to the cause, securing $23.1 million from supporters in Ardmore, Enid, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Ada, Miami, Durant and Duncan. The philanthropic effort represents the largest fundraising initiative in INTEGRIS history.
Oklahoma is a STATE in CRISIS, plagued by a silent epidemic known as ADDICTION. It is the leading cause of unintended death for Oklahomans between the ages of 25 and 64; yet, we are ranked worst in the country when it comes to available treatment options.
"There are nearly 600 Oklahomans on a statewide waiting list for residential substance abuse treatment services, on any given day,” said Terri White, Oklahoma Commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. “These are individuals who have asked for help and have been assessed to need this level of care, but we simply do not have the resources to respond. And, we know, that when appropriate services are not available, other negative consequences occur that further compound the problem and cost more to address. Oklahoma’s death rate due to alcohol and drug poisonings has more than tripled over the past 15 years.”
Couple that with the fact that one in four Oklahomans suffers from some sort of mental illness, and it is easy to see that there is an undeniable and urgent need for more addiction and mental health services in our state.
In response to what many consider to be an increasingly emergent situation, INTEGRIS Health is proud to publicly announce plans to build an evidence-based treatment facility in Oklahoma that will be similar in concept to such highly acclaimed institutions as Hazelden Betty Ford Centers (located throughout the country), Menninger (Houston) and Talbot (Atlanta).
“What began in the hearts and minds of a few local visionaries around a dinner table more than six years ago, is one step closer to becoming a reality,” proclaimed Bruce Lawrence, INTEGRIS Health president and chief executive officer. “I remember when these individuals first approached me looking for an answer to a seemingly unsolvable problem. Their lives had been personally impacted by disease and existing treatment programs had not worked for their loved ones. It was in that moment I realized – INTEGRIS Health must be part of the solution.”
“Addiction is arguably the number one killer of our citizens who otherwise should be in the prime of their lives. It is a disease that knows no boundaries and can devastate or, in some cases, even destroy families,” declared Lawrence. “We have a responsibility as one of the state’s largest health care systems to battle this disease head-on. In order to break the stronghold addiction has over far too many of the people we care about, we have to be truly invested in the cause. We hope today’s announcement boldly demonstrates our level of commitment to bringing an end to the vicious cycle that is effectively crippling the place we call home.”
Details of the future project were revealed during a special groundbreaking ceremony. The INTEGRIS Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery will be located on the INTEGRIS Health Edmond campus along I-35 near the I-44 interchange for easy access from anywhere in Oklahoma.
“INTEGRIS Health Edmond was chosen to house the new treatment facility for a variety of reasons,” explained Avilla Williams, president of INTEGRIS Health Edmond. “Not only is our peaceful and serene environment conducive to healing, but we hope to help erase the stigma and shame surrounding addiction and mental illness by purposely placing the center on an actual medical campus.”
The proposed approximately 60-thousand square foot treatment facility will include a treatment area, a conference center and a 40-bed living space where patients will reside during the rehabilitation process. The INTEGRIS Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery will follow the most modern, up-to-date clinical model available.
“There is a common misconception that addiction is a moral failure, lack of willpower, and weakness; however, scientific advances in brain research show addiction as a brain disease with genes and environment playing a significant role in its evolution,” stated R. Murali Krishna, M.D., co-founder and president of INTEGRIS James L. Hall Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit and senior consultant for INTEGRIS Mind-Brain Health. “Eighty to ninety percent of people suffering from addiction also have a diagnosable mental disorder. The majority of these individuals also suffer from significant unresolved trauma in their life. This realization requires a more sophisticated, comprehensive and personalized evidence-based multidisciplinary approach to treatment in order to be successful. “
The center’s staff will include addictionologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, dietitians, therapists and clergy. The INTEGRIS Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery will offer individualized treatment programs ranging from 60 to 90 days, which is more extensive than most current services.
“Research in the field of brain science shows that it takes at least 45 days for the brain to begin significantly “re-wiring” itself and learn the new skills and behaviors necessary to break the addiction,” continued Krishna. “It is clear from leading medical literature that longer lengths of stay lead to significantly reduced rates of relapse.”
With a total cost of $46 million, the vision of the facility hinges upon the engagement and partnership of the community. INTEGRIS Health has already committed $11 million to the project, in land and construction dollars. The remaining $35 million will come in the form of private philanthropy, making this a true community-driven grassroots initiative.
Kelly Dyer Fry, editor of the Oklahoman newspaper, is campaign chairman for the project. “I am excited to announce that as of today, we have secured $23 million toward our final goal. Six million of the total raised will endow scholarships through the Patient Assistance Fund. This will help ensure that all Oklahomans can benefit from the new treatment facility, not just those with the ability to pay. Another portion of the funding will be dedicated to program development and educational outreach.”
“I join Kelly in my enthusiasm for the campaign’s success thus far and we are humbled and grateful for the incredible generosity our community has shown,” added Ed Martin, vice-chair of leadership gifts and INTEGRIS Health Board Member. “We believe it is a true testament of not only the need in our state but the unique solution being created. While we have raised 65 percent of our goal, we must raise another 12 million to complete our mission of not just building a world-class facility – but supporting innovative therapies, professional and community education and the Patient Assistance Fund. Together, we can shift the paradigm; we just need to come together as Oklahomans to answer the call.”
Although the public launch of the campaign was just announced, efforts to secure private donations have been ongoing since 2015. Lead donors to the campaign include the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center Volunteer Auxiliary, Inasmuch Foundation, Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, Pat and Jim Wallis, J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation, Luke and Becky Corbett, Chickasaw Nation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Herman and LaDonna Meinders, Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation, and an anonymous donor.
The INTEGRIS Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery is a mission-oriented venture for INTEGRIS Health and will not be a revenue-leader for the not-for-profit health system. More importantly, it will change lives, heal families and be a beacon of hope for this great state.
