When Frontline Foundations approached NorthShore Health Centers about the possibility of merging, it didn’t take long for CEO, Jan Wilson, to know it would be a good decision. On July 1st, the merging of NorthShore Health Centers with Frontline Foundations was official, and Wilson is looking to the future to expand the Frontline Foundation model of treating substance abuse throughout the Region.
“We provide one of the services that they have a lot of respect for and they respect our reputation. We have a great deal of respect for their reputation because of the services they provide. It just seemed like a natural thing to partner and bring the two companies together to provide holistic care,” said Wilson.
Frontline Foundations has been a non-profit organization operating within Porter and LaPorte county for ten years. They offer substance abuse treatment with addiction counseling and therapeutic programs. Along with a 12-step program for recovery, they also work with their clients for continuing sobriety with art, music, and even cooking skills. Clients can individualize their treatment on what they enjoy doing.
“[The program] Gives them a purpose by doing something that they like to do.”
Frontline Foundation’s reputation as being an excellent resource for those dealing with substance abuse was one of the things that Wilson admired. Hearing from community members that it was an extremely effective program helped to seal the deal.
“We would not have considered embracing them if they were not high-quality. It’s an excellent program. I am thrilled that we are able to partner with them,” said Wilson. “I know this program is excellent and that’s why we have gotten involved. I’m proud of that and want to bring it to more people.”
NorthShore Health Centers already offers behavioral health in addition to other medical services and adding a substance abuse program was just another way for them to serve the community. Medical problems and substance abuse problems are often intertwined and being able to provide that holistic care is important to NorthShore Health Centers.
“When you have substance problems, you can also have medical problems. We provide the medical and they provide the substance abuse,” said Wilson.
Being able to bring the Frontline Foundation model of recovery to more communities is exciting for NorthShore Health Centers. The benefits it will bring are innumerable.
“It benefits the community because it gives them more access. By Frontline Foundations coming in with us, they now have access to Portage, Lake County, and they can further serve the communities,” said Wilson.
The merge of the two organizations was a fairly easy one. NorthShore Health Centers added medical services to the La Porte Frontline Foundations office. They also opened a Frontline Foundations program in their Lake Station medical offices. Future plans are to include Frontline Foundations programs in the new Portage medical center and the re-designed Hammond center. The most important thing is to make sure communities are receiving all the care they could need.
“I’m looking forward to the ability to provide all the services, physical, mental, holistically and helping people get over substance abuse and trying also to help them maintain sobriety by getting involved in the different programs Frontline Foundations offers,” said Wilson. “I think we are both really good organizations and we do a good job at providing services. We’re joining forces to provide more of the whole care to the community.”
