A new, 10-bed inpatient detoxification unit is now open at the University of Toledo Medical Center, the first substance abuse detox center in a hospital setting in the Toledo area.

“We are committed to helping the community in whatever way we can,” said Dr. Tanvir Singh, a UTMC psychiatrist and the unit’s medical director, calling detox a crucial “first step” in addiction recovery.

The University of Toledo Medical Center is the former Medical College of Ohio hospital.

“We’ll give them a start with detox services at UTMC, and then link them with agencies so they can keep progressing in their recovery,” he said.

The average stay is expected to be three to five days, UTMC officials said, and patients must commit to entering further treatment after their stay. The unit is on the sixth floor of the hospital, and is open to adult men and women.

The unit is meant to address a continued need in the Toledo area as the opioid abuse and overdose epidemic shows no signs of waning.

“Many of the patients who need detox go to the ERs, try to get admitted to a [psychiatric] facility, and sometimes lie about being suicidal to meet the criteria for admission,” Dr. Singh said. “We are hopeful with our services it would happen much less [frequently].”

Patients must be in active withdrawal and can be referred from other departments at UTMC, other health-care providers, by family members, or by the patients themselves. Medicaid and private insurance are accepted.

While the unit is open to those looking to get off of alcohol or a variety of drugs, Dr. Singh said he expects most will come with an opioid addiction, based on the patients typically entering other detox facilities in the area.

“You’re talking about life and death here,” he said of the mortality rates associated with addiction. “If you can save a few by providing detox services right away, it can make a big difference.”

Patients will have access to medication to ease withdrawal, which often includes intense flulike symptoms such as sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea. A team of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and social workers will work with patients, UT spokesman Christine Billau said. 

Most staff are existing employees, but UT has hired two additional people and might hire more, she said.

“The more detox beds, the better,” said Lt. Robert Chromik, who leads Drug Abuse Response Team through the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, adding that there is a need “for more access to that initial treatment so they aren’t relapsing or committing crimes but are focused on treatment.”

The DART unit consistently has between a dozen and three dozen people waiting for a detox bed, Lieutenant Chromik said.

UTMC joins a growing number of detox beds in the area, including 16 beds at the Zepf Center, 34 at Arrowhead Behavioral Health, one bed for a dual mental health and substance abuse diagnosis at Rescue Mental Health and Addiction Services, and 12 detox beds at Joshua Treatment Center in Holland, according to the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County.

Mercy Health spokesman Erica Blake said the system has no plans to go in that direction, but works in partnership with Unison Health, which is expected to open a 16-bed inpatient detox facility this year.

ProMedica spokesman Serena Smith said ProMedica hospitals do not have dedicated detox units.

Patients presenting with overdose symptoms are treated in the emergency departments and might stay in an intensive care unit between two to four days. They are then discharged to outpatient services, including those at Harbor Behavioral Health, an affiliate of ProMedica. The hospital system also has a relationship with Arrowhead, Ms. Smith said.

For more information about the UTMC detox unit, including how to enter as a patient, call 419-383-2337.

Contact Lauren Lindstrom at llindstrom@theblade.com, 419-724-6154, or on Twitter @lelindstrom.

First Published March 28, 2017, 4:00 a.m.