Opioid Addiction Clinic opens in Ellsworth

ELLSWORTH, Maine (WABI) - From January through October of this year, the number of opioid drug overdoses is 4.8% higher than over the same time period in 2021.

A new clinic in Ellsworth has opened its doors offering one-on-one help for those looking for help with addiction.

Kimberly Marshall opened Exline Health two weeks ago, a clinic that focuses on Comprehensive Addiction Medicine, while recognizing opioid addiction is a universal problem.

“The hope is to just reach people who are struggling with addiction in this area,” Marshall said. “The whole socioeconomic thing is different for everybody. Addiction doesn’t know any particular neighborhood. It reaches people from high affluence all the way down to folks who are living on the street.”

Marshall said her goal is to help those battling addiction with a more personalized approach.

“Everybody’s recovery is going to look differently. It’s, in my opinion, not a ‘one size fits all,’ cookie-cutter thing where everybody goes to a group meeting and everybody gets a prescription refill. That’s fine, but I’m hoping to do something a little bit different,” Marshall said.

A board certified nurse practitioner with over 20 years of health care experience, Marshall hopes to fill the need for healthcare professionals in the Downeast area, as the need for help with opioid addiction in Hancock County, and the entire state, continues to grow.

“It seems to me people feel more comfortable to have more one-on-one, seeing the same person every time you come and make those recovery steps. That’s not to say those folks also might not benefit from a group or a professional counselor or a psychiatrist. There often will be co-occurring disorders that come with years of drug use. I guess I tried to put myself in that place and thought, ‘Where would I feel more comfortable having a personalized relationship with somebody who really could help me overcome? Or going to a big group setting right off the bat,’” Marshall said.

In the end, Marshall said that while group treatments for addiction can work, groups are still made up of individuals.

“If I have 10 people and one person can turn around and be successful and achieve some goals? That’s huge,” she said.

For more information on Exline Health in Ellsworth, visit exlinehealth.com

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