UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The McLeod Center for Wellbeing opened an expanded addiction treatment facility in Monroe late last year, continuing a mission that has served Union County for 20 years. The new building provides specialized medical resources and counseling for residents diagnosed with opioid use disorders.
Opioid addiction currently impacts approximately 30,000 people in Union County, with about 200 patients visiting the Monroe center for treatment. The organization is the only nonprofit medication-assisted treatment provider in Union and Anson counties that offers two specific drugs used to treat these disorders.
The facility recently moved from its former location off U.S. 74 to its new site across from Atrium Health Union. This relocation was designed to bring treatment resources closer to patients who may be transported to the emergency department following an overdose.
Inside the new building, a dedicated pharmacy area allows patients to check in and receive one of two medications designed to stabilize withdrawal symptoms caused by drugs such as fentanyl. The facility also includes exam rooms for an on-site physician and counselors.
Christine Zazzaro, president and CEO of McLeod Centers for Well-being, said the organization aims to reduce the obstacles residents face when seeking help.
“There are a lot of people who have these problems, but they never get the treatment. Whether they don’t know if they can afford it,” Zazzaro said. “They don’t know if they have transportation. There are a lot of barriers to carry, and we are trying to knock down all the barriers we can to make it as easy as possible for people to come and get treatment.”
Logan Adams serves as the medical director for the McLeod Centers for Well-being. He noted that the medications administered at the facility have helped reduce the risk of an overdose by half. He described the new space as a lifeline for the community.
Adams said that substance use in the region often goes unnoticed by the public. “I think Union County is pretty similar to other rural counties that we are also in. Drug use is pretty quiet and pretty silent. A lot of folks you would not expect may have an addiction or substance use disorder,” Adams said.
The center’s recovery programs focus on moving patients from active drug use to long-term stability. “It was why I do this work. I see people go from chaotic use to recovery and get to see that every day,” Adams said.
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