Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth aims to improve patients' access to substance abuse treatment through a new partnership with Seminole County, reports the Orlando Sentinel.
In early 2020, AdventHealth will open a 10-bed addiction recovery center in Sanford, Fla. The residential care facility will eventually expand to hold 50 patients who will be eligible to receive up to 30 days of overnight care.
"We recognize that the best place for those individuals is not jail," Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma told the Orlando Sentinel. "This is not a situation of trying to make bad people good, but rather sick people well."
AdventHealth will also staff a dedicated substance abuse coordinator at AdventHealth Altamonte Springs and expand opioid and substance abuse training for emergency room staff members.
The initiatives come as part of a multiyear agreement with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, EMS/Fire Rescue and the Board of County Commissioners. The partnership is currently backed by a three-year budget, with AdventHealth committing $1.5 million annually.