At Eu Natural, we believe that real wellness rarely comes down to a single product, treatment, or decision; success is ultimately built over time, through layers of support and consistent choices. That's a perspective shared by Reuven Verschleisser, CEO of BD Health Services. Formerly BD Health is Baltimore's largest independent MAT clinic network, with more treatment locations than any other locally operated OTP program in the region. We sat down with Reuven to talk about what recovery actually looks like, and how providers can help patients move from crisis to lasting health.
Eu Natural: BD Health Services combines medication-assisted treatment with counseling and broader health services. Why is it important to address the whole person, rather than focus solely on the medication side of treatment?
Reuven Verschleisser: Medication is essential; methadone and Suboxone are evidence-based, clinically proven treatments for opioid use disorder, and they save lives. But medication alone doesn't resolve the underlying factors that drive addiction in the first place. Most patients we see are also dealing with untreated mental health conditions, housing instability, trauma histories, and other chronic health problems. If we only treat the dependence and walk away, we're leaving most of the work undone. Counseling, care coordination, and health services are integral parts of treatment, and that's the clinical model we've built across all of our outpatient locations.
Q: For someone who's never sought help for substance use before, taking the first step must feel enormous. What does BD Health do to make it more approachable?
A: We've put a lot of thought into access and friction. Having six locations across Baltimore thankfully means patients don't have to travel far, which matters when someone is already dealing with a health crisis. Beyond geography, it's about how we engage people when they walk in. We try not to make anyone feel like they're navigating a system. Our intake process is straightforward, our staff are trained to meet patients where they are, and we accept Medicaid, which removes a major barrier. The goal is to make it as easy as possible to say yes to treatment.
Q: What factors outside of medication or counseling tend to have the biggest influence on whether a patient makes meaningful progress?
A: Social determinants of health are huge. Employment, stable housing, family support, food security: these things don't show up on a prescription pad, but they shape outcomes as much as any clinical variable. We try to connect patients with community resources because we know that a patient who's housed and employed is in a fundamentally better position to sustain recovery. Recovery should happen in the context of someone's life, not isolated from it.
Q: How has your understanding of what recovery looks like changed over the years of running BD Health?
A: Early on, I think success felt easier to define. Is the patient off substances? Are they coming to appointments? Over time, I've come to see recovery as something much more personal and non-linear. Some patients make rapid progress. Others take longer, step back, and start again. What we've learned is that staying engaged with a patient through the harder stretches is often more important than any one clinical decision. Recovery is a long-term process, and our job is to be a consistent, reliable part of that process for as long as someone needs us.
To learn more about BD Health Services and find a location near you, visit bdhealthservices.com.
