Alpha Home, a residential and spirituality based substance abuse treatment center for women, has renamed its Wellness Center to honor its founder, Richard P. Usatine., M.D., professor of family and community medicine at UT Health San Antonio.
The Wellness Center at Alpha Home was founded in 2005 by Dr. Usatine in collaboration with a group of altruistic medical students. A renaming ceremony was held at the San Antonio center Nov. 11.
Dr. Usatine expressed thanks to Alpha Home for its mission, and the women who inspire his work.
“The success of Alpha Home goes beyond the individual and touches their families and our communities by allowing the graduates to become the good mothers and productive citizens they want to be,” he said. “They get their children back and keep them out of the foster care system. And we save our community money by keeping many of the Alpha Home women out of our emergency rooms.
“For each woman we help at Alpha Home,” he added, “we train many new doctors, dentists, physical therapists and nurses who will become better health professionals with the ability to have empathy for some of the most vulnerable members of our society.”
The center fills a gap in the health care of Alpha Home Clients and also allows medical students and other health science students to reach out to provide compassionate services, supervised by faculty doctors, while learning about substance use and recovery.
“Dr. Usatine’s Wellness Center saves our community $245,000 a year in emergency room visits alone,” said Angela White, Alpha Home’s chief executive officer. “The impact to the overall health of our female clients is immeasurable, for many it is the first time for a well woman check. These services extend the length of stay in treatment which is essential for long term recovery. We are truly grateful for Dr. Usatine.”
Within the Wellness Center, the faculty and students provide five different clinical services, covering primary care, gynecology, physical therapy, psychiatry and dental.
The Greehey Family Foundation recently pledged three years of financial support to the Wellness Center in recognition of the renaming for Dr. Usatine. Bill Greehey, community leader and longtime friend of UT Health San Antonio, attended the renaming ceremony.
Since its beginning in 1966, Alpha Home has served over 22,000 clients in San Antonio and the surrounding counties. The mission of Alpha Home is to offer a pathway of hope, healing and recovery through spiritually based drug and alcohol services and support.