Ideal Option opens Redmond addiction medicine clinic to help curb drug crisis fueled by fentanyl’s rise

'It can happen to anyone,' Shawnda Jennings says

(Update: Adding video, Redmond clinic opens, comments from Peer Outreach Specialist)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Ideal Option opened a Redmond addiction medicine clinic on Monday, after establishing a Bend clinic several years ago. With the use of deadly fentanyl on the rise, it hopes to get people the help they need promptly.

Ideal Option, a national leader in evidence-based treatment for addiction to fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, alcohol and polysubstance, has been awarded grant funding through Oregon’s Measure 110 initiative to expand services to Redmond, where its new clinic has just opened.

Patients will receive primarily buprenorphine-based medication-assisted treatment from an onsite addiction medicine specialist.

“I struggled with opiates," Ideal Option Peer Outreach Specialist Shawnda Jennings said Tuesday. "I was a heroin addict for decades, it consumed my every move." 

Drug addiction became Jennings' way of coping with loss, first of her grandparents, who helped raise her, and then her dad, who dealt with severe depression. While her grandmother was critically ill, Jennings' dad got worse. 

“We got the call that she passed away -- but not just that, but my dad had killed himself the same hour," Jennings recalled.

Jennings' half-brother also committed suicide.

She later also found out her mom, who had left her at 7 years old, had died homeless on the streets.

"I was spiritually bankrupt," Jennings said.

After going through detox and residential treatment over the course of several decades, today, Jennings is working with Ideal Option, helping others struggling with substance abuse disorder by offering medicated-assisted treatment.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, at least 29 people in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties died from overdoses in 2021.

Ideal Option takes walk-ins Mondays through Thursdays.

“When they come in here, it’s just like any doctor's appointment," Jennings said. "You’re going to meet with a medical assistant, she’s going to take your vitals."

Jason Hanby, a physician assistant with Ideal Option, said, "We also do blood draws as well, checking for kind of a basic blood panel, to make sure nothing is abnormal. Even though we don’t treat chronic or acute conditions, we can at least recognize those and refer them to the appropriate providers for that.” 

The treatment is funded by the Measure 110 grant, which also helps them get medication-assisted-treatment into the county jail.

Ideal Option treats nearly 30 patients, who Jennings says come from all walks of life. 

"It can happen to anyone," she said.

The company's news release about the new Redmond clinic continues below:

According to former Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel, fentanyl, a dangerous and highly addictive synthetic opioid, is largely to blame for overdose deaths skyrocketing in Central Oregon. Figures released by the Oregon Health Authority showed at least 29 people in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties died from drug overdoses in 2021. At least 24 of the region’s drug overdose deaths occurred in Deschutes County, an 85% increase compared to 2019.

Ideal Option’s 2021 Annual Patient Outcomes Report for Oregon shows fentanyl positive rates at enrollment were up by 85%, displacing heroin positive rates, which were down by 36% compared to 2020.

The data also support the effectiveness of treatment. Among patients who remained in treatment with Ideal Option during 2021, urine drug testing shows:

• 98% less fentanyl use
• 93% less total opioid use
• 96% less heroin use
• 88% less methamphetamine use
• 68% less benzodiazepine use

The new clinic in Redmond is Ideal Option’s second location in Deschutes County, as it also operates a location in Bend, and is opening at a time of desperate need for expanded access to evidence-based treatment from experienced providers. Ideal Option has been specializing in addiction medicine using buprenorphine-based medications such as Suboxone® for 11 years and currently operates 86 clinics in 11 states.

“I am excited that our much-needed services are now available in Redmond,” said Shawnda Jennings, peer outreach specialist at Ideal Option. “As someone in recovery myself, I know how important it is to have easy access to treatment and am so grateful to be able to give back to the community that helped me.”

The new Ideal Option clinic in Redmond is open Monday – Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. and is located at 1228 NW Canal Blvd, Redmond, OR 97756.

Most forms of insurance are accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid, and patients can typically get started on treatment for fentanyl, heroin, alcohol or other substances within 1-3 business days.

Learn more by calling 1.877.522.1275 or visiting http://www.idealoption.com.

About Ideal Option
Headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, Ideal Option was founded in 2012 and has since helped more than 65,000 patients through a network of 86 office-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics across 11 states. With a mission to serve under-served communities, Ideal Option accepts most forms of insurance including Medicaid and Medicare. Financial assistance and payment plans are also available.

Ideal Option's team of medical providers carry certifications in Addiction and Emergency Medicine, Internal, and Family Medicine, among other specialties. The company also employs social workers, caseworkers, counselors, and mental health practitioners. This holistic approach helps drive positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism.

In all the communities it serves, Ideal Option collaborates with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This approach includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support.