Office of Public Relations — Newsroom
News Release
CeDAR to Open on the UCDHSC Campus at Fitzsimons Nov. 1
AURORA, Colo. (Oct. 3, 2005) — The University of Colorado Hospital's Center for Dependency, Addiction & Rehabilitation (CeDAR) officially opens to patients on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The University of Colorado Hospital will celebrate the grand opening with an open house and tours for the public on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Located on the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center campus at Fitzsimons, CeDAR is the only premier residential addiction treatment facility in the Rocky Mountain region. Unlike any other treatment center, CeDAR operates in collaboration with the Betty Ford Center, one of the most successful and well-known residential treatment facilities in the United States.
"Our facility fills an important need in the region by providing a comprehensive residential treatment center for adults and their families," said Franklin Lisnow, MEd, MAC, CeDAR executive director. "Alcoholism and substance dependence can affect anyone - whether it's a friend, family member or a friend of a friend, most of us know someone who has struggled to overcome an addiction and Colorado is no exception."
CeDAR's recovery process will include traditional 12-step meetings, group therapy, and individual counseling, as well as family sessions, self-reflection, psychiatric assessment and treatment, physical fitness and spirituality. Typically, patients will stay at CeDAR for 30 days and, if needed, they may also receive psychiatric treatment for problems such as depression, bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress.
The center's 50-bed campus includes two residential treatment cottages, an assessment/detoxification building, a fitness and family center, the Lori Wolf House (formally the General's House), and an administrative building. Additionally, any patients needing to stay longer than 30 days can stay in housing adjacent to CeDAR in the former Colonel's Row buildings, while returning to their jobs and continuing with individualized, outpatient treatment.
"Fortunately, addiction is a treatable disease," said Robert J. Harmon, M.D., CeDAR medical director and professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "Finding the right type of treatment depends on the severity of the addiction and available resources in the area - CeDAR will definitely fill a gap in the treatment options in this region for those looking for a high quality, residential treatment center."
CeDAR is located on the UCDHSC Fitzsimons campus at the intersection of Quentin Street and East 17th Avenue. For the most up-to-date details about the CeDAR opening celebration on Saturday, Oct. 29, please visit www.CeDARColorado.org.
University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region's leading academic tertiary care and referral center, and has been recognized as one of America's best hospitals, according to U.S.News & World Report. Located in Denver and Aurora, Colo., the hospital is part of the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, in the University of Colorado system. For more information, visit the Web site at www.uch.edu.