New Safford Med Unit Offers Hope

Community Medical Services Clinic Will Provide Local Treatment Option for Those Suffering with Opioid Addiction.

Safford – Community Medical Services (CMS), an innovative leader in addiction treatment in Arizona and across the nation, today announced the opening of its newest Medication Unit in Safford. Located at 102 E. Main Street in downtown Safford, the clinic is conveniently positioned to serve residents of Safford, along with those in surrounding rural areas.

The need is great. The U.S. government’s National Institutes for Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 115 Americans die every day after overdosing on opioids. The most recent 2018 Arizona data shows suspected overdoses (with or without a fatality) number from 103 to 270 per week.
“Safford has been deeply affected by the opioid epidemic. In fact, according to the state’s data, Southern Arizona has a significantly higher incident of opioid overdoses compared to other parts of the state,” said Haley Horton, CMS Regional Operations Director for Southern Arizona. “The difference in Safford is that the community has joined together – in a group that includes law enforcement, health care providers, hospitals and the justice system – to tackle the problem in a collaborative and innovative way. CMS is proud to join this committed recovery community in its effort to ease the pain opioids have caused.”

CMS specializes in delivering Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), in what experts refer to as a ‘whole-person’ approach. The treatment, which studies have found to be far more effective than traditional modalities, uses FDA approved medicines to inhibit physical responses to opiates and/or ease the physically, mentally and emotionally painful symptoms of withdrawal. Treatment is combined with counseling services and peer support, and is paired with strong coordination of care with local behavioral health and medical agencies. When CMS patients stabilize after one year in treatment, 90% consistently test negative for illicit opiates.
CMS clinics also equip patients with Naloxone, a drug which – when delivered close to the time of overdose – can reverse the effects of opioid drugs and save lives. CMS clinics, including the Safford location, will also be a designated collection site where community members can drop off unused controlled prescription medications to be safely and properly destroyed.

“Our mission is to ensure the residents of these communities finally have the access to the treatment they have been actively seeking,” added Horton.

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