Gillis (Betty Ford Center Board of Directors) Jim Steinhagen (Administrator, Betty Ford Center), Louis Gossett, Jr. (Academy Award winning actor), Mark Mishek (President
and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation), and Mark Baumgartner (Director of Outpatient Services, Betty Ford Center). Photo by Kerry Seichter
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wednesday, Jan. 28, to officially open the new Betty Ford Center outpatient addiction treatment clinic in West Los Angeles.
Patients have been admitted beginning the first week in February.
“With the opening of this new state-of-the-art outpatient clinic in the heart of Los Angeles, we will be able to provide our high-quality care near more people’s homes and with access to community support and recovery resources,” said Jim Steinhagen, administrator of the Betty Ford Center.
Mark Mishek, President and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the parent organization of the Betty Ford Center, pointed out that “health care reform is opening the doors to addiction treatment for many more people, primarily through outpatient care,” and noted “this new clinic is a key part of our organization’s strategy to expand outpatient services in California and nationally.”
“The chronic disease of addiction demands multiple levels of care and accessible treatment that works,” said Mishek. “We look forward to serving the people of California and the Southwestern United States in a more comprehensive way, providing the right level of care to all who seek it.”
A number of special guests attended the event, including The Honorable Susan Fox Gillis, chair of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Board of Trustees; other Board members; and distinguished public officials Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown, Los Angeles Councilmember for the 5th District Paul Koretz, and Jacqueline Hamilton, staff member for U.S. Rep. Karen Bass.
In addition to opening remarks by Jim Steinhagen, featured speakers for the event included renowned actor Louis Gossett, Jr.; Paul Koretz; and Mark Baumgartner, director of Outpatient Services at the Betty Ford Center in West Los Angeles.
“This wonderful new facility will make our expert treatment more accessible to more people,” said Baumgartner. “With our convenient location and daytime and evening scheduling, we now provide patients with today’s most effective addiction treatment close to home, so commitments to work, family and community can be accommodated.”
The new facility is located at 10700 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Los Angeles.
For more information, call 877.872.7538 or visit www.bettyfordcenter.org.
