UPMC McKeesport opens drug detox and rehab unit

UPMC McKeesport announced Thursday that it plans to open an inpatient drug abuse detoxification and rehabilitation unit, a day after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf declared the statewide opioid epidemic a disaster emergency.

Touted as the first of its kind in the region, the combined unit will have 18 beds dedicated to detox and nine to rehabilitation.

“Our program is designed to break the cycle of addiction, step by step and day by day, with the goal to restore people's hope that they can achieve wellness to lead healthy, productive lives,” said Dawndra Jones, UPMC McKeesport's vice president of patient care services.

UPMC plans to open the unit next month.

“I think, without question, when you look at this region and well beyond, this opioid epidemic is extremely serious,” McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko told the Trib. “It does not discriminate, rich, poor, young, old, black, white, male, female — the crisis is affecting so many lives in this region and beyond.”

Data shared by Wolf on Wednesday show 5,260 Pennsylvanians died from drug overdoses in 2017. A year earlier, more than 4,600 residents died of overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“As we continue to fight the opioid epidemic, patients who come to UPMC McKeesport can expect to be met with compassion by a well-trained team of experts who specialize in addiction treatment and recovery,” said Mark Sevco, president of UPMC McKeesport and UPMC East.

Ben Schmitt is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7991, bschmitt@tribweb.com or via Twitter at @Bencschmitt.