Spero Health Responds to Increased Overdose Death Rates in Northern Kentucky with Opening of New Clinic in Erlanger

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published overdose death data from June 2019 through 2020, and the report was grim. Over 81,000 people died from drug overdoses, a 21% jump, making it the deadliest year for United States. Responding directly to this urgent need, Spero Health, a national leader in providing care for individuals struggling with substance use disorders, announced it will open a new clinic in Erlanger, KY. The new clinic located at 3192 Dixie Hwy will open Tuesday, June 29^th , and offer a combination of in-person and telehealth visits. Spero Health has a growing network of over 55 clinics throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Indiana, providing care for more than 9,000 patients. Individuals who need addiction treatment services are encouraged to walk-in for help or call 859-888-2510 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Spero Health accepts Kentucky Medicaid and most commercial insurance plans.

In 2019, Kentucky recorded 1,316 drug overdose deaths. In 2020, from January to September, the state reported 1,454 drug overdose deaths according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. In Northern Kentucky, records show a 20% jump in overdose related deaths in Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties in the first half of last year according to The Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center. As these deaths continue to increase, Spero Health remains committed to bringing lifesaving treatment to areas most in need with continued plans to expand rapidly throughout 2021. Speaking about these plans, Spero Health’s CEO, Steve Priest said, “We have no time to waste. Over 450,000 Americans have died from drug overdose in the last 20 years, and the pandemic made everything worse. Many Americans experienced disruption in social safety nets and access to healthcare changed, creating new mental health challenges and making pre-existing worse. In the past this region in Northern Kentucky has been an epicenter for heroin use, it is critical that more resources are made available, and more people have access to life-saving addiction treatment options. We are working very hard to make that happen in as many places as possible.”

To get a better understanding of services offered by Spero Health, Senior VP of Clinical Services for Spero Health, David Hayden said, “Spero Health’s goal is to engage patients where they are in their journey and personalize the program to meet their specific needs so they can stabilize, allowing for interventions to support sustained recovery efforts. Because it can be a matter of life and death, we want to make it as easy as we can for those that need addiction treatment services to have immediate access to a treatment team that consists of doctors, counselors and recovery specialists, close to home. It is also important that we create avenues in which we connect with those that need help by providing innovative ways to deliver comprehensive services. Virtual appointments are one way we do this, which gives patients the opportunity to keep close connections with their counselors and physicians’ on-line and over the phone, making it easy to get help from essentially anywhere they are.”

About Spero Health

Spero Health, Inc., is an integrated healthcare services organization specializing in local and affordable outpatient care for individuals suffering from substance use disorders with a mission to “Save Lives, Instill Hope, and Restore Relationships.” Spero Health utilizes an innovative evidence-based integrated care model that combines both physical and behavioral healthcare services under one roof to treat the whole patient. This integrated care model combines physician services (including medication-assisted treatment), behavioral health counseling, recovery support services, medication management and patient and family education. Its community-based approach to treatment allows patients to continue working and caring for their families as they overcome addiction.

Based in Nashville, Tenn. and privately held by Heritage Group, Health Velocity Capital, South Central, Inc. and Frist Cressey Ventures, Spero Health operates over 55 outpatient clinics located throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia and Tennessee. Providing care for more than 9,000 patients, Spero Health is one of the largest office-based opioid treatment providers in the country and is in-network with Medicaid and most commercial insurance plans.

For more information about Spero Health, please visit www.sperohealth.com.