Treating the Whole Person: A Conversation with Reuven Verschleisser, CEO of BD Health Services

BD Health Services is Baltimore’s largest independent MAT clinic network, offering more access points for outpatient opioid treatment than any other locally operated OTP in the region. At Nightingale Nursing & Rehab, we believe outstanding care goes beyond clinical treatment, requiring compassion, consistency, and a deep understanding of the whole person. We sat down with Reuven Verschleisser, CEO of BD Health, to explore how those same principles show up in outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder.

Q: At Nightingale, we recognize that a diagnosis is just one part of a person’s story. How does BD Health approach opioid addiction as a whole-person health issue?

A: Opioid use disorder doesn’t exist in a vacuum; when someone walks through our doors, they’re likely navigating trauma, mental health challenges, housing instability, employment stress, or strained family relationships. Our program combines medication with one-on-one counseling and therapeutic support specifically for that reason. Evidence-based addiction treatment works best when it accounts for the full human experience, and that integrated approach is the clinical framework our business has been built around.

Q: What are some of the biggest barriers that prevent patients from continuing treatment, and how does your team address those barriers in a compassionate, nonjudgmental way?

A: The most common barriers are stigma, shame, fear of judgment, and the daily realities of life: childcare, transportation, work schedules. People miss appointments for very human reasons, and then feel too embarrassed to come back. Our approach is to anticipate those off-ramps before patients reach them. That means flexible scheduling, insurance and Medicaid-friendly access, and staff who respond to setbacks like relapse with support rather than discharge. In addiction treatment, consistency and compassion are retention strategies. A patient who feels safe enough to return after a relapse is a patient with a real shot at long-term recovery.

Q: How does building trust early affect a patient’s willingness to begin (and continue) care?

A: Trust is the entire foundation. Most of our patients arrive at their first appointment in a fragile, high-urgency state, scared of being judged, unsure what to expect. Many are fully prepared to walk out. If that first interaction feels clinical or transactional, we’ve lost them. Our intake process is designed to feel like a conversation with someone who genuinely cares, because it is. Our staff learn patient names. They explain every step of the MAT process clearly, and answer questions without rushing. When patients feel truly seen from day one, they are significantly more likely to remain engaged over the long term.

Q: How do counseling and therapeutic support strengthen the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment?

A: Medication stabilizes the body and reduces cravings; it’s a critical, evidence-based intervention. Counseling addresses the psychological and behavioral roots of addiction. Together, they create a treatment model far more effective than either component alone. In our integrated care model, patients work with counselors to understand their triggers, build healthier coping tools, and reconnect with what matters most to them, whether that’s family, employment, or their own sense of dignity. That combination is what turns stabilization into sustainable recovery.

Q: What can other healthcare organizations learn from addiction treatment about reducing stigma and helping patients feel seen?

A: Stigma directly prevents people from seeking and staying in care. Every healthcare setting has patients who arrive carrying fear, or the memory of a previous bad experience. The practices that reduce stigma, with plain-language communication, nonjudgmental staff, and dignity-first onboarding, translate directly to better outcomes in skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and beyond. Treating people like human beings is already the right thing to do; the positive impact it has on a business is just a happy bonus.

To learn more about BD Health Services’ outpatient opioid treatment programs in Baltimore, visit bdhealthservices.com.