The Gateway Foundation, the largest nonprofit provider of addiction treatment services in Illinois, including a facility in Lake Villa, has announced the appointment of a chief medical officer.
With the appointment of Dr. Roueen Rafeyan, Gateway becomes the first nonprofit rehabilitation center in Illinois to create such a position, according to information released by the foundation.
The move came after the U.S. surgeon general reported that substance abuse is costing the United States more than $442 billion each year.
“We are excited to be the first Illinois rehabilitation facility to introduce the addition of a chief medical officer to our team,” Gateway CEO Dr. Thomas Britton said in a news release. “Dr. Rafeyan is exactly the type of leader that can help us continue to make a real difference in the lives of those we treat.”
The position is integral to supporting the foundation’s strategic growth and fulfilling its mission to provide state-of-the-art care to individuals and families, according to an announcement from Gateway on Friday.
Gateway representatives said the addition of a chief medical officer will help address the burgeoning opiate addiction crisis locally and nationally and hopefully would help lower costs through treating addiction as a chronic disease.
Gateway is a major partner in the A Way Out program in Lake County, which offers a new way of receiving help for those struggling with addiction. Under the program, residents may go to participating police stations for help in quickly finding affordable treatment.
According to officials, the first two participants in the program were admitted to Gateway’s Lake Villa facility.
More Top Picks Best False Bottoms For Mash Tuns
A Way Out was created by a wide coalition of county law enforcement; health and addiction service providers, including Gateway, Advocate Condell Medical Center, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Health Care in Lake Forest and Grayslake, Vista Health Systems and Nicasa Behavioral Health Services; the Lake County Health Department; the Lake County state’s attorney’s office; the Live4Lali addiction treatment and recovery group; and LEAD (Leading Efforts Against Drugs).
Rafeyan brings more than 20 years of specialized experience to Gateway, having served as a medical director for psychiatric and substance use programs at leading Illinois health care institutions, including Rush, Michael Reese, Resurrection and Presence Behavioral Health, according to the agency.
As chief medical officer, Rafeyan will be responsible for advancing Gateway’s array of services, including medication-assisted treatment, and will work closely with Gateway’s team of physicians and clinicians to deliver comprehensive addiction, psychiatric and medical services and treatment as needed for each individual, representatives said.
The release added that Rafeyan’s treatment philosophy includes providing a comprehensive assessment of medical and psychiatric issues to render better outcomes and a core belief that the disease of addiction goes beyond the individual and affects the entire family.
Twitter @jimnewton5