People can now start recovery inside the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center.

MAPLE FALLS, Wash., July 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Ideal Option, a national leader in evidence-based outpatient treatment for addiction to fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, alcohol and polysubstance, is now welcoming new patients in Maple Falls. The new clinic can be found at 8251 Kendall Rd, located inside the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center (EWRRC), a facility operated by the Opportunity Council.

The purpose of the project, funded by the North Sound Accountable Community of Health (ACH), is to expand access to office-based opioid treatment to the HRSA and USDA designated rural community of Maple Falls.

“EWRCC is dedicated to building connections, supporting access to resources, and connecting community across rural East Whatcom County,” said Kelly Vogel, EWRRC manager for Opportunity Council. “We are excited and proud to partner with Ideal Option to make sure anyone in our community who may be struggling with substance abuse can find the help, connection, and care they deserve.”

Dominating headlines and infiltrating the illicit drug supply, fentanyl has caused overdose deaths and drug-related crime to increase exponentially across Washington state, including Whatcom County. According to the Whatcom County Health Department, overdose deaths increased by 43% last year, mostly due to fentanyl.

“Due to the worsening fentanyl crisis in Whatcom County, there is a desperate need for treatment from experienced addiction medicine specialists,” said Katie Olson, MPH, development manager for Ideal Option. “Thanks to funding from the North Sound ACH and our shared location with the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center, we are able to increase access, visibility and awareness of our services to those seeking recovery.”

Ideal Option recently released their 2023 Annual Patient Outcomes Report, which aggregates lab testing results from over 13,700 patients in Washington state. The report confirms that due to the rapidly changing trends in street drug formulations, polysubstance use is now the norm, making treatment more complex. Data show that 68% of all Washington State patients were ingesting more than one substance at the time of enrollment, and 30% tested positive for three or more substances.

The report does offer hope, however, by underscoring the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment in combating both isolated and polysubstance use. For patients who remained in Ideal Option’s care throughout 2023, lab testing results show remarkable reductions in substance use:

• 98% less fentanyl use
• 89% less methamphetamine use
• 99% less xylazine use
• 92% less heroin use

Over the past 15 years, opioid overdose deaths in the North Sound region have increased by over 126%, as shared in an article by North Sound ACH staff. By expanding access to these crucial treatment services in Whatcom County, North Sound ACH is able to further its commitment to creating a just and inclusive culture and the necessary conditions for all community members to thrive.

The new clinic in Maple Falls will complement Ideal Option’s second location in Bellingham and is opening at a time of desperate need for expanded access to evidence-based treatment. Ideal Option has been specializing in addiction medicine for over 12 years, using medications such as Suboxone®, and currently operates more than 80 clinics across 9 states.

The outpatient clinic in Maple Falls is open for new and returning patients on Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 8251 Kendall Rd, inside the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center.

Most forms of insurance are accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid. Patients can make an appointment by calling 1.877.522.1275 or visiting www.idealoption.com.

About Ideal Option

Headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, Ideal Option was founded in 2012 and has since helped more than 82,000 patients through a network of 80+ office-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics across 9 states. With a mission to serve under-served communities, Ideal Option accepts most forms of insurance including Medicaid and Medicare. Financial assistance and payment plans are also available.

Ideal Option’s team of medical providers carry certifications in Addiction and Emergency Medicine, Internal, and Family Medicine, among other specialties. The company also employs social workers, caseworkers, counselors, and mental health practitioners. This holistic approach helps drive positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism.

In all the communities it serves, Ideal Option collaborates with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This approach includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support.

About Opportunity Council

For nearly 60 years, the Opportunity Council has worked throughout Northwest Washington to build just, equitable communities through service, investment, and collaboration. They focus on making sure everyone has access to the basic building blocks for a healthy and productive life: from making sure children have the start in life they deserve to making sure everyone has access to a safe and healthy home with food on the table. Part of a national network of Community Action Agencies, Opportunity Council is dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other—building a community where everyone has the chance to thrive and contribute.

About North Sound Accountable Community of Health

North Sound Accountable Community of Health (North Sound ACH) exists to create a just and inclusive culture and the necessary conditions for all community members to thrive.

The North Sound region is home to more than one million people who live in Island, San Juan, Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties — urban and rural settings spanning from mountains to islands in the Salish Sea. Our region is also home to eight Tribal nations who have inhabited this land since time immemorial: Lummi Nation, Nooksack Tribe, Upper Skagit Tribe, Samish Indian Nation, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, Tulalip Tribes, and Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe.

North Sound ACH was founded in 2015 to be a place where collaborative learning, planning, and decision-making could occur, crossing traditional jurisdictional boundaries, and looking upstream to tackle issues that impact health, believing that people in the region are more connected than they are separate.

Advancing equity, well-being and a sense of belonging are fundamental elements of the regional work, using the framework of targeted universalism to shape and inform planning, actions, decision-making, and investment.

Media Contact

Olivia Roe, Ideal Option, 1 9199466644, [email protected], www.idealoption.com 

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SOURCE Ideal Option