Staff report
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell joined St. Elizabeth Healthcare CEO Garren Colvin and Life Learning Center President Alecia Webb-Edgington Monday to announce another big step toward dealing with the addiction problem in Northern Kentucky.
Colvin announced that St. Elizabeth would be using a $2.4 million federal grant to implement Lift Up Project programming in a second location for its Journey Recovery Center which St. Elizabeth will build on the third floor of the Life Learning Center. The project is expected to be completed in 2022.
St. Elizabeth is the convener of a collabortive that includes Journey Recovery Center, Life Learning Center, the Kentucky Career Center and the Workforce Investment Board.
“Addressing the needs of persons with substance abuse disorders is crucial to St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s vision of making this community one of the healthiest in America,” Colvin said.
St. Elizabeth’s Journey Recovery Center was opened in 2016 and serves as a central hub for healing patients with opioid and other substance abuse disorders. Operated by St. Elizabeth Physicians it customizes its approach to the needs of the patient, combining medications with behavioral and talk therapy. It provides intensive individualized outpatient, individualized therapy, case management, and peer support services.
The second location at Life Learning Center is important. It means the LLC and the collaborative partners can help move those receiving treatment to employment so they can become productive members of the community.
Sen. McConnell, flanked by Garren Colvin and Alecia Webb-Edgington
“This is transformational change for those who suffer from addiction disorders,” said Webb-Edgington.
McConnell spoke to the importance of addressing substance disorders and commended the partnership that is putting federal dollars to good use. He also talked about his youthful experience with polio and how vaccinations matter, urging everyone to be vaccinated against COVID — and calling the COVID vaccines “a modern miracle.”
Joining the group on the platform for the announcement were Bonnie Hedrick, PhD, Lift Up Project Director, St. Elizabeth Healthcare; Dr. Teresa Koeller, Medical Director St. Elizabeth Physicians’ Journey Recovery Center; Tara Johnson-Noem, Director, Workforce Investment Board; and Wonda Winkler, President and CEO of Brighton Center.
Life Learning Center is located at 20 W 18th Street in Covington.
