Jones To Announce Funding For Rehab Center
By Janie Taylor, Staff Writer, Appalachian News-Express
May 1, 2006

Thanks to State Senator Ray Jones and Pikeville Medical Center, coal tax dollars will be used to help fund a new juvenile drug rehab center.

According to Jones, $750,000 has been allocated for the new unit and addition to Pikeville Medical Center and will be announced during a Monday press conference at the hospital.

"This money will be used to get the unit off the ground," Jones said. "This is one of the most important projects that Pikeville Medical Center has ever undertaken."

Jones said a project of this kind is critical for the community.

"Too often, I've seen too many young lives snuffed out because of drugs," Jones said. "This is one of the most effective ways to deal with the problem."

According to Jones, early intervention is a key element in fighting the war on drug abuse.

"There needs to be intervention before there's no turning back, we need a facility to treat juveniles," Jones said. "This unit will have a profound impact on the area's drug crisis."

The unit, Jones said, will join UNITE and the WestCare facility at Sycamore to provide a multi-faceted approach to combat drug abuse.

Jones credited Pikeville Medical Center administrators with launching the plan.

"I want to thank Walter May and Joanne Anderson for taking the initiative to move on with this," Jones said. "There's no quick fix for the drug problem, but they have pledged a long-term commitment."

"The problem in Eastern Kentucky is nothing like you'll see anywhere else in the country," she said. "It's a devastating problem."

Staff Writer Janie Taylor can be reached via e-mail at jtaylor@news-expressky.com.