LAURINBURG — KV Consultants and Associates updated the Scotland County commissioners this week on the in-patient treatment program coming to Laurinburg.
Dr. Kathy Cummings spoke during the public forum to inform the board about integrated care she plans to bring, saying how holistic services, out-patient care, in-patient care, detox and more are needed during the rising opioid crisis.
“Scotland Memorial Hospital, they do not detox or have a psych unit,” said Cummings. “The closest psych unit is Southeastern in Lumberton, so law enforcement has to travel one to two hours to take a patient to detox and in two or three days go back and pick them up.”
She also added more services will be part of the program, like aftercare transition for helping the patients find housing and a job, AA, NA, Al-Anon, and spiritual recovery will be there 24/7 for patients.
Cummings brought up CBD, a marijuana oil, that she says the state department is trying to get approved.
“I had a patient who was using the CBD oil for zits on her face. It took her 60 days to detox the drug from her body so she could go back to teaching,” added Cummings.
She said the issue is that people are mixing it with many drugs that lead to severe withdrawals, seizures, convulsions, and sometimes death because they are not under medical attention.
She says that the oil is also a gateway drug for adolescents.
“What they do is they spray it on the pills and sell it on the street,” added Cummings.
Cummings shared that her experience includes setting up two mental health centers and she also ran an in-patient treatment detox and transitional program in Lumberton for 10 years. Now, she is looking forward to opening a program at Willow Place.
“I’m waiting for the state department to come and take a look at the site and we will be able to open up,” said Cummings. “Eventually we will purchase the site.”
But there are more steps that have to be taken to get it up and running, like paying around $130,000 to install water sprinklers.
“The state department is saying that we have to have water sprinklers in every room,” said Cummings. “We already have a medical doctor, medical team, drug testing and all set up.”
Commissioner Betty Blue Gholston expressed she was glad the program is coming to Scotland County.
“I’m so happy because this is such a real need, it is wonderful that we will have an in-patient facility here,” said Gholston.
Jael Pembrick can be reached at 910-506-3169 or jpembrick@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
