New rehab facility vows to put clients’ needs first

A young man is lying on a couch in the fetal position with his back turned to the automatic sliding door. Across from him, a man stands behind the reception desk, with the words "Desert Hope" mounted on the wall just above his head. The outdoor fountain hums, and in the far back of the lobby, a statue of Buddha sits atop a round table.

The American Addiction Centers-owned Desert Hope opened Jan. 1, and already the inpatient addiction treatment facility has 55 paying customers. And in an attempt to stay as close to a one-to-one staff-to-patient ratio as possible, clinical director Toril Newman says that's about all the center can hold for now.

With 70 staff members in place, the residential facility at 2465 E. Twain Ave. eventually will employ 150 people to roughly match its 148-bed capacity.

Michael Cartwright, chairman of American Addiction Centers, says he won't have any trouble filling the facility.

"About 3.5 million people go to treatment nationwide each year, so the market is pretty big. Ten percent of the population usually needs or knows someone who needs help," he says. "It's a pretty large market. There are plenty of people that need help."

Desert Hope is targeting people with addictions in Southern California and Nevada and is licensed by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Agency.

The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that of 84 total treatment facilities in Nevada, only 18 of those offered any residential treatment options and 26 were for-profit. The median number of clients per residential facility in Nevada in 2010 was 38, and the utilization rate of residential facilities in Nevada was 107.7 percent, signaling an underserved population.

David Marlon opened Solutions Recovery at 2975 S. Rainbow Blvd. in 2005. The facility operates 50 residential beds, but together with its outpatient services, treats 150 patients at any given time.

Because of the high demand for beds in the valley, Marlon is in the process of expanding to 70 beds. Counting beds at facilities such as Desert Hope, Montevista Hospital, Seven Hills Behavioral Institute, Las Vegas Recovery, the Salvation Army and WestCare, Marlon says there still aren't enough residential centers.

"We are still just addressing a small fraction of the population that is suffering," he says. "I think we should welcome (Desert Hope) and say 'We hope you invest in the Vegas Valley.'"

Aside from its Las Vegas facility, American Addiction Centers operates four other adult treatment centers in Dallas; Palm Beach, Fla.; Hamilton, N.J.; and Southern California. The Brentwood, Tenn.-based company also operates an adolescent treatment facility in Palm Beach and a weight loss center in Nashville, Tenn.

"I think that we do it as well as anyone in the United States," says Cartwright.

The 78,000-square-foot Las Vegas treatment facility features a basketball court and 12-step walk in its backyard, complete with waterfalls and elaborate desert landscaping. Patients are encouraged to get outdoors and breathe the fresh air, and the Las Vegas center offers group education, doctors' assessments, luxury hotel-quality amenities and health care services. With all his facilities, Cartwright focuses on providing an ultraclean, activity filled environment that offers five-star food service.

"A residential treatment center is part hotel … and part hospital," Cartwright says. "I was a patient once. Over 20 years ago I got sober and went through treatment programs like what I'm offering and they weren't that nice."

At Desert Hope, hardwood floors greet visitors in the lobby while suede couches, and chairs await patients in the therapy rooms. White sconces hang outside the bedrooms in the women's corridor. A polished piano sits in one of the relaxation rooms.

"It's a healing process. Someone is shaken up. They're desperate for help. They're very nervous going to treatment the first time," Cartwright explains.

Cartwright initially got the idea to open a facility in Las Vegas while hosting the Lifestyle Intervention conference at Bellagio. He says he started thinking that the city would be a perfect home for a rehab center.

"You look at Las Vegas and it's probably the No. 1 process addiction place in the United States," Cartwright says.

Process addictions are those such as gambling, sex and food.

Desert Hope sits on 4.97 acres that used to be an assisted living facility prior to Cartwright buying the parcel for $4.8 million, according to Clark County Assessor records. American Addiction Centers completed a remodel of the site, transforming it into Desert Hope. Cartwright says the company spent "quite a bit" on opening Desert Hope, but he wouldn't release a specific number.

"We spared no expense in fixing up the facility," he says.

Men and women are housed separately at Desert Hope and most activities are completed separately.

Of the total patient count, 36 are men and 19 are women who are completing 30-, 60- and 90-day programs. Licensed therapists, psychologists and nurses oversee the programs.

Most people, on average, stay about 45 days.

Insurance is required for admittance, and all patients have to go through American Addiction Center's call center to be placed in a facility. Medicaid and Medicare are not accepted but most major carriers are. And if, after being admitted, a patient's insurance plan decides not to cover expenses, Desert Hope will allow the patient to stay for 30 days.

"We don't kick them out if their insurance poops out," Newman says.

Out-of-pocket cost varies from nothing to "a couple thousand," based on what type of insurance plan they have.

"This is very affordable," Newman says.

Unfortunately, due to denial that builds up when suffering from an addiction, Marlon says people who need treatment often don't have insurance. To be profitable, he says American Addiction Centers accesses nonplan benefits, meaning patients end up paying more out of pocket.

Newman says the facility also plans to be a destination of sorts, which would in effect widen its reach to those who have insurance. Prospective patients have to call the central call center, so not only residents from surrounding areas are sent to Desert Hope - patients can come from anywhere.

"It seems like a plausible model, but … they've spent a lot of money on this facility. I think part of it is gambling on this new health care law too," Marlon says.

In 2014, he says many drug rehab facilities are hoping that the Health Care for America Plan will require carriers to cover more drug treatment care costs.

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Follow @lscvegas on Twitter.