Hennepin Healthcare envisions a future where the root causes of addiction are treated early, and drugs and alcohol no longer imperil health, wellness and the achievement of human potential. The Center for Addiction Medicine will serve as the epicenter for the integration of addiction services, research, and innovation, expanding Hennepin Healthcare's role as a statewide and national model of excellence in addiction treatment.
Transforming Lives
Hennepin Healthcare’s Addiction Medicine Program offers best-in-class, life-saving treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) to those who need it most. For 30 years, the program has provided proven, holistic, medical-based treatments in a judgment-free, compassionate manner that many patients cannot find elsewhere. Part of Minnesota’s largest safety-net hospital system, the Addiction Medicine Program serves a patient population that is disproportionately affected by substance use and poverty. Investing in Hennepin Healthcare’s bold vision for a new Center for Addiction Medicine is a commitment to continuing to transform lives across the Twin Cities and Minnesota for the next 30 years and beyond.
A National Epidemic
Fatal drug overdose is the leading cause of preventable death in the US. 750,000 people die every year from causes related to opioids, other drugs, alcohol, and nicotine.
Only 1 in 10 people with an SUD receive treatment in the US. In Minnesota, 350,000 residents currently need, but are not receiving, treatment.
In 2022, there were 1,002 opioid-involved overdose deaths in Minnesota. People of Color are disproportionately impacted by addiction, with American Indian Minnesotans ten times and Black Minnesotans three times as likely to die from an overdose than their white counterparts.
At Hennepin Healthcare, 33% of total hospital admissions are related to addiction. The Emergency Department sees half of all overdoses in Hennepin County.
PHASE ONE: Build the new Center for Addiction Medicine
THE CHALLENGE: The current Clinic serves over 400 patients per day in only 3,500 square feet of clinic space, which includes two patient exam rooms and a small waiting area with six chairs. It is hard to access, too small for the patient volume, out-of-date, and does not reflect the healing, judgment-free care that its staff offers. See photos.
THE SOLUTION: The new Center will be located on the first floor of the Purple Building. This location will allow Addiction Medicine to move from a severely undersized space to a 12,500 square foot area. Additionally, the central location makes it easier for patients to locate and recognize the prominent role of addiction medicine within the campus. This project will add procedure and consultation rooms, increase the waiting room size by five times the current space of six chairs, and increase the number of exam rooms from four to eleven. Design and construction for this project is estimated to last approximately 18 months, with the first patients being served in the new space April of 2027.
Center for Addiction Medicine
Impact and Outcomes
The new Center for Addiction Medicine will allow us to increase our patient volumes and services to meet an additional 25% of the currently unmet need for substance use disorder treatment in Hennepin County. The new location brings the treatment of substance use disorders, and patients with addictions, physically and symbolically closer to the heart of the organization. Logistically, the new space will allow for the two flagship programs of the Addiction Medicine Program - the Opioid Treatment Program and the Office-based Addiction Treatment Program - to run simultaneously throughout the day, rather than being limited in their operating hours by space constraints, as is currently the case.
Building on 30 years of experience
Hennepin Healthcare’s Addiction Medicine Clinic serves over 400 patients per day in only 3,500 square feet of clinic space, which includes two patient exam rooms and a small waiting area with six chairs. That's more patients in a much smaller area than our Emergency Department serves in a day.
The Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) dispenses medication, such as methadone, to an average of 375 patients each day.
The Hennepin County Jail program, managed by Hennepin Healthcare, provides up to 30 days of methadone treatment for patients recovering from opioid use disorder (OUD). Upon release, these patients are referred to Hennepin Healthcare to support their continued recovery.
Hennepin EMS paramedics are trained to administer buprenorphine, initiating treatment for OUD in the field after reversing an overdose – one of only a few EMS in the country to do so.
The Office-Based Addiction Treatment Program (OBAT) treats approximately 1,200 unique patients annually, incorporating SUD treatment into a general medical clinic model of care, addressing a range of physical and mental health needs.
Addiction Medicine consultation services provide addiction treatment and medical consultation to patients in the hospital and ED.
This multi-year $30,000,000 campaign is broken down into phases and seeks to accomplish four overarching objectives.
- Build the Center for Addiction Medicine
- Expand the Addiction Medicine Workforce
- Improve Patient Navigation and Support
- Integrate SUD Treatment into Primary and Mental Healthcare
- Phase One: Capital Campaign Goal $12,000,000 to build the new Center.
Contact us
For more information on the various ways you can donate, please contact: Becky DeRosia, Sr. Development Officer, becky.derosia@hcmed.org Ι 612-873-6090
If you'd like to mail in your contribution, please send a check with Center for Addiction Medicine in the memo line to: Hennepin Healthcare Foundation, 701 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Check with your employer to see if they have a matching gift program. Hennepin Healthcare Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a tax identification number of 41-0845733.