EARLEVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Earlier this year, the Cecil County Health Department reported 22 drug- and alcohol-related intoxication deaths in the county from January to September 2015. A total of 19 of these deaths were heroin- or otherwise opioid-related. Statewide, opioid overdose deaths increased 21 percent in 2014 – killing 887 individuals. To combat this growing epidemic, Recovery Centers of America (RCA) has named Barbara Kistenmacher, Ph.D. as Chief Executive Officer of its Earleville center for addiction medicine at Bracebridge Hall.

With over 15 years of experience building addiction and co-occurring disorder treatment programs, Kistenmacher will lead a multidisciplinary team of clinicians to offer the residential level of care at RCA at Bracebridge Hall, the first Maryland center for addiction medicine in the network of treatment centers opening throughout the Northeast U.S. The company’s expansion is being financed by $231.5 million in funding that RCA secured through New York City-based Deerfield Management Company.

“Like much of the United States, Maryland’s towns have been devastated by substance use disorders, including prescription drug misuse,” says Chief Clinical Officer of Recovery Centers of America Dr. Deni Carise. “In December of 2015, Maryland’s Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force recommended the state expand access to treatment and enhance the quality of care – two concepts that are integrated into Recovery Centers of America’s mission and one of the reasons it chose to bring its model to Cecil County. Dr. Kistenmacher’s professional experience, and her background as a native to the county, make her the ideal leader for RCA at Bracebridge Hall.”

Having grown up in Cecil County, Dr. Kistenmacher began her career as a pharmaceutical sales representative before returning to school to earn her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Oregon. During her time in Oregon, she studied motivational interviewing, a counseling method that has a strong research-base supporting its effectiveness with individuals struggling with substance use disorders. Following her time in Oregon, Dr. Kistenmacher studied trauma at the Weil-Cornell College of Medicine, completed a post-doctoral fellowship in addictions at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, and began her career working with individuals and families affected by addiction. She most recently served as Executive Director for the Hazelton-Betty Ford Foundation in New York City.

“I am looking forward to addressing an issue that is devastating this community,” says Dr. Kistenmacher. “Addiction often spurs a vicious cycle of family discord, loss of employment, and other struggles. Recovery Centers of America is bringing all the elements needed to combat the opioid epidemic in a revolutionary way that I’m proud to be a part of. The strong team RCA has built will drive a behavioral health agenda that helps people rebuild their self-esteem and provides customized treatment in a comfortable and private environment.”

The famed Bracebridge Hall sits on a 557-acre waterfront estate, and was designed in 1990 by two-time Arthur Ross Award winner David Easton. Patients will arrive at RCA at Bracebridge Hall via a beautifully landscaped, two-mile driveway. Upon entering the lobby, they will be immediately greeted by name and taken to a semi-private room that opens to bright and spacious meeting areas, café-quality coffee bars, a glass-face yoga studio, five-star dining room, and outdoor patios.

Recovery Centers of America is committed to advocating for some 22.7 million Americans suffering from behavioral health and substance use disorders. Its integrative, evidence-based approach to treatment addresses all barriers to recovery: physical, mental, social, spiritual, family, and medical. Its Neighborhood Model features centralized, community-based recovery campuses designed based on research showing sustained recovery is more likely when patients stay connected to family and friends. The RCA OnePlan provides individualized comprehensive treatment plans to meet every patient’s unique needs.

About Recovery Centers of America

Based in King of Prussia, PA, Recovery Centers of America is committed to advocating for some 22.7 million Americans suffering from behavioral health and substance use disorders. The company, which is opening treatment centers throughout the Northeast, is transforming the way treatment is delivered in an industry in desperate need of change. Recovery Centers of America’s neighborhood-based centers for addiction medicine are designed based on the latest scientific research that indicates sustained recovery is more likely when patients stay connected to and supported by family and friends, while building other, ongoing support networks. By allowing patients to receive treatment in an atmosphere more akin to a college campus with Starbucks-like appeal, Recovery Centers of America helps overcome the stigma of addiction and its treatment, which is essential to meaningful recovery.

For more information visit www.recoverycentersofamerica.com, dial 1-800-recovery or visit www.1800recovery.com.