Taryn Hofert

WSOC-TV | Monroe Location Grand Opening

New addiction treatment facility opens in Monroe to combat opioid crisis

By Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The McLeod Center for Wellbeing opened an expanded addiction treatment facility in Monroe late last year, continuing a mission that has served Union County for 20 years. The new building provides specialized medical resources and counseling for residents diagnosed with opioid use disorders.

Opioid addiction currently impacts approximately 30,000 people in Union County, with about 200 patients visiting the Monroe center for treatment. The organization is the only nonprofit medication-assisted treatment provider in Union and Anson counties that offers two specific drugs used to treat these disorders.

The facility recently moved from its former location off U.S. 74 to its new site across from Atrium Health Union. This relocation was designed to bring treatment resources closer to patients who may be transported to the emergency department following an overdose. Inside the new building, a dedicated pharmacy area allows patients to check in and receive one of two medications designed to stabilize withdrawal symptoms caused by drugs such as fentanyl. The facility also includes exam rooms for an on-site physician and counselors.

Christine Zazzaro, president and CEO of McLeod Centers for Well-being, said the organization aims to reduce the obstacles residents face when seeking help.

“There are a lot of people who have these problems, but they never get the treatment. Whether they don’t know if they can afford it,” Zazzaro said. “They don’t know if they have transportation. There are a lot of barriers to carry, and we are trying to knock down all the barriers we can to make it as easy as possible for people to come and get treatment.”

Logan Adams serves as the medical director for the McLeod Centers for Well-being. He noted that the medications administered at the facility have helped reduce the risk of an overdose by half. He described the new space as a lifeline for the community.

Adams said that substance use in the region often goes unnoticed by the public. “I think Union County is pretty similar to other rural counties that we are also in. Drug use is pretty quiet and pretty silent. A lot of folks you would not expect may have an addiction or substance use disorder,” Adams said.

The center’s recovery programs focus on moving patients from active drug use to long-term stability. “It was why I do this work. I see people go from chaotic use to recovery and get to see that every day,” Adams said.

This article was originally written for and by WSOCTV. To read the complete article and view interview, click here.

by Taryn Hofert

Announcing | Monroe Location Grand Opening

MONROE, NC — Mcleod Centers for Wellbeing Opens New Monroe Location to Expand Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services
March 6, 2026

Mcleod Centers for Wellbeing will host a grand opening celebration for its new Monroe location on
Friday, March 6, 2026, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.,
inviting community members, local leaders, health care professionals and media to tour the facility and learn more about its services.
The event will be held at Mcleod Centers for Wellbeing I Monroe, 1410 E. Franklin St., Monroe, NC 28110.

The event will feature a celebration gathering, remarks from organizational leaders and community partners, guided tours of the center and light refreshments.
Guests will learn how Mcleod Centers' range of services, including medication for opioid use disorder, counseling and recovery support, that help clients build safer, healthier and more stable lives.

"With the opening of our Monroe location, Mcleod Centers for Wellbeing is strengthening our commitment to meet people where they are and provide effective, person-centered care close to home," said Chrisine Zazzaro, Chief Executive Officer. "We know that timely, accessible treatment can change the trajectory of a person's life, and we are honored to partner with Union County and the surrounding communities in this work"

For decades, Mcleod Centers for Wellbeing, a nonprofit with eight locations across the state, has served North Carolinians through outpatient and residential programs focused on recovery from substance use disorders. The organization's multidisciplinary teams provide individualized care in a respectful, nonjudgmental environment designed to support long-term wellbeing. The Monroe opening continues Mcleod Centers' mission to build a foundation of healing and hope while restoring lives, reuniting families and strengthening communities by ensuring that high­quality substance use disorder treatment is available where it is needed most.

For more information about the grand opening or McLeod Centers for Wellbeing’s services, contact Taryn Chase, Marketing/Communications Specialist 704.412.1540 or email.

McLeod Centers for Wellbeing is a Charlotte-based nonprofit organization working since 1969 to build a foundation of healing and hope based on equity, education, and evidence-based practice for all communities through serving adolescents and adults with substance use disorder. The organization serves over 5,000 patients annually through medication assisted treatment, outpatient services, residential treatment, case management, and education across eight locations in Piedmont and Western North Carolina.

Attention Media:
PRESS RELASE FOUND HERE

No RSVP necessary, but if you're willing to let us know you will be join us, Event Pages can be found on Facebook and LinkedIn

 

by Taryn Hofert

WSOC-TV - CMS Approves Narcan On School Campuses

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board voted unanimously to approve Narcan in every school building.

Narcan is a nasal spray used to reverse an opioid overdose.

According to documents from the district, CMS plans to store doses of Narcan in AED cases that will be located in the front office of each school building.

School nurses will be trained on how to use the nasal spray. And if it ever needs to be administered, the district will have protocols for those steps. The training is ongoing.

“I think it’s a great idea, because harm reduction is the goal,” said Christine Zazzaro, CEO of McLeod Centers for Wellbeing.

The Charlotte-based organization helps people recover from substance-use disorders.

This article was originally written for WSOCTV by Evan Donovan. To read the complete article, click here.

by Taryn Hofert

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