COMMUNITY CONCERNS PUT METHADONE CLINIC ON HOLD

PRINCETON - Concerns of Mercer County citizens have delayed the
decision on a certificate of need application for a proposed Mercer
County methadone clinic, the applicant said Tuesday. "There's a small
group of citizens. They have some concerns about our clinic," David
Gnass, chief executive officer of Nashville, Tenn.-based National
Specialty Clinics, said.

The concerns "are not as much about National Specialty Clinics, but
more about questions of methadone-maintenance treatment."

The application to the West Virginia Health Care Authority is for the
Southern West Virginia Treatment Center.

That document indicates that "SWVTC ... proposes development of an
outpatient behavioral health facility in Mercer County for the
outpatient treatment of persons with opiate addiction."

Further, it states that "the objective of the proposed treatment
center is to assist adult men and women to cease the use of all
illicit narcotics and the abuse of other drugs and alcohol."

This will be accomplished "through medical and rehabilitative
components ... Treatment includes meth-adone hydrochloride,
levo-alpha-acetylmethadol ('LAAM') and/or another prescription drug
.."

Gnass said that, about 10 days ago, "the HCA asked me if I would
please meet with that group to answer questions and address concerns."

He indicated that "we're -the small group and I - are in the process
of arranging a meeting. It'll probably be in Mercer County, somewhere.
They have very legitimate questions, and we just haven't had the
benefit of the discussion."

The meeting will be within the next 60 days, Gnass said. "That will
result in a delay in the decision on the CON being issued. The board
has said that they do not want to issue the CON unless, and until, I
can make this group comfortable with what we do."

Questions include, he said, "those about level of dosages, duration of
treatment, success rates, impact on the community, etc."

According to Gnass, the group's facilitator "is Dan Dunmyer of
Princeton Community Hospital. He's been very professional. Everybody -
Sonia Cham-bers (with the HCA), Dan Dunmyer - has been professional
about this."

He said, "We're all working toward a solution."

"The concerns we have are about methadone clinics in general and the
impact they have on, not only those who are seeking treatment, but on
the community as a whole," Dunmyer said.

"Gnass and his consultant, Bill J. Crouch & Associates, have been
quite respectful and have shown a desire to be available to answer the
concerns of our community."

Dunmyer indicated there are at least 12 other members of the group,
including physicians, a pharmacist, other professionals and community
residents.