Buprenorphine

For Immediate Release: July 18, 2025 Media Contact: Kyle Casteel - Media Lead Communication Office │ Department of Health 802-863-7280 │ [email protected] New Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Hub Now Open in Bennington Grand opening event planned for July 23 WATERBURY, VT — A new treatment hub for opioid use disorder is now open in Bennington, marking a significant expansion to the state's network of services for people recovering from substance misuse. The site is operated by BayMark Health Services – known as BAART Programs in Vermont – which is North America’s largest provider of medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. BAART Bennington began providing services in June and will celebrate a grand opening on July 23. “The opening of this facility is a testament to years of hard work and collaboration between the Health Department, BayMark, the Bennington community and many more partners,” said Health Department Deputy Commissioner Kelly Dougherty, who oversees the state’s substance use treatment programs. “By adding this new hub in Bennington to our statewide system of care, we are improving access and reducing barriers for Vermonters in recovery.” Vermont’s hub-and-spoke opioid treatment service system is organized through geographic regions—Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southeast, and Southwest. With the opening of BAART Bennington, each region now has at least one “hub,” a licensed Opioid Treatment Program with the authority to dispense buprenorphine and methadone, two powerful medications used to treat individuals with opioid use disorder. “Spokes” are healthcare practices that can provide office-based treatment supported with buprenorphine – previously the only level of care available in Bennington. “Before the Bennington hub opened, people seeking this level of treatment needed to travel significant distances, or outside of the state, to receive care,” Dougherty said. “Opioid misuse continues to impact our communities. Having accessible treatment for people in Vermont remains crucial.” The Health Department is supporting the new hub in Bennington with a $3.9 million grant to help cover startup, operational costs, and the cost of treatment for those without insurance through July 2026. BAART Bennington has an estimated capacity to serve about 400 people in need of medication to treat opioid use disorder annually, and offers other recovery services including case management, addiction and relapse prevention education, and referrals to community resources. Health officials said over 11,000 people received opioid treatment services from Vermont’s hub-and-spoke system of care in 2023. Grand Opening: Media are invited to BAART Bennington’s official grand opening at 120 Depot St, Ste 4 Bennington, VT 05201. The event is scheduled July 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by tours of the facility. Please RSVP with Sean Cossey at [email protected] by July 22. # # # About the Department of Health We have been the state's public health agency for more than 130 years, working every day to protect and promote the health of Vermonters. Visit HealthVermont.gov ─ Join us @HealthVermont on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube Translated Information – Print, video and audio resources are translated into many of the languages used in Vermont. Visit HealthVermont.gov/Translations for searchable tables of documents in each of the nine languages – including about preventing illness, healthy homes, and staying safe and healthy during extreme events like storms, power outages, hurricanes, and flooding. Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.