Dr. Robyn Jordan, MD, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine, gave NC Attorney General Josh Stein a tour of their newly opened mobile clinic for substance use disorder.
LUMBERTON, N.C. – A new mobile clinic, spearheaded by Robyn Jordan, MD, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine and addiction medicine specialist, is helping Robeson County residents get medication-assisted treatment and support services for their substance use disorder.
On September 26, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and Lumberton Mayor Bruce Davis were given a tour of the ATLAS (Addiction Treatment: Linking Access & Services) mobile clinic in Lumberton, NC, followed by a press conference at the Breeches Buoy Addiction Medicine Services facility.
“We need to be doing more to ensure that folks struggling with addiction get the treatment that they need to get healthy,” said Attorney General Stein. “There are not enough doctors, pharmacies, specialized treatment locations — there’s simply not enough places for people to turn to, to get the healthcare that they need. That is why I’m incredibly excited to see this ATLAS mobile clinic that the UNC School of Medicine is bringing to Robeson County.”
The clinic, which was started by the UNC School of Medicine with funded by Vital Strategies and the Duke Energy Foundation, visits Robeson County weekly to deliver addiction treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder, to those in need. In addition to receiving treatment from board-certified doctors , patients also collaborate with peer support specialists and social workers to help them recover.
“The mission of our program at the UNC School of Medicine is to expand access to addiction treatment with a specific focus on those with the highest need of services,” said Jordan, director of the UNC School of Medicine’s Addiction Medicine Program. “Overdose deaths are increasing at the highest rates in Native American and Black populations, making it imperative that Robeson County receive increased services for addiction treatment. With ATLAS, we’re able to bring addiction treatment directly to the community, while also building the community’s resources through education and training.”
Media contact: Kendall Daniels, Communications Specialist, UNC Health | UNC School of Medicine