Blue Door Therapeutics, the first opioid outpatient treatment center to combine the use of medical cannabis with traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic therapeutics as an exit strategy for dependence on pain pills (opioids), is now open in North Scottsdale.
Created by a team of board-certified physicians, Blue Door Therapeutics is focused on treating those affected by the first medically-derived epidemic in history using a combination of traditional and alternative medicine. Blue Door is the first treatment center in the world to combine the use of medical cannabis along with traditional medicine as an exit strategy for opiate use disorder.
“The opioid epidemic is at an all-time high. Drug overdose is now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with Arizona placing in the top 10 for opioid distribution. Our team is committed to creating a customized exit strategy for each patient by using a combination of therapies to decrease opioid dependency,” said Dr. Gina Mecagni Berman, MD, CEO and co-founder of Blue Door Therapeutics. “As the first treatment center in the world to combine the use of medical cannabis with traditional, naturopathic and alternative medicine, I am excited to bring our forward-thinking approach to patients in need.”
Blue Door Therapeutics offers traditional medication-assisted treatment, using Buprenorphine/Suboxone when appropriate and individualized counseling to help patients combat withdrawal symptoms. The treatment center also offers evidence-based naturopathic treatments focusing on patient sleep habits, nutrition, comprehensive hormonal analysis and more to optimize patients to be able to heal themselves. Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, meditation and exercise are also used to heal the mind, body and spirit while developing healthy coping skills. Physician-monitored cannabis treatment utilizes cannabis to treat withdrawal symptoms and help combat cravings. Blue Door uses cannabis by not trading one drug out for another but as an exit strategy so patients can ultimately be freed from having to take any medication.
“At Blue Door, we don’t view cannabis as an illicit substance; we view it as a medical treatment that makes a lot of sense when you understand the underlying neuropharmacology between opioids and cannabinoids”, said Dr. Ravi Chandiramani, medical director and co-founder of Blue Door Therapeutics. “Medical cannabis is the real game-changer for opiate dependence treatment and our team is committed to utilizing medical cannabis as another tool to improve outcomes for our opioid dependent patients.”
Blue Door Therapeutics raised more than $2 million dollars in private placement funding to launch the clinic. The opiate treatment center is already on a successful path for fast, continuous growth looking to add two more clinics in Arizona in two years, creating 10-20 jobs per clinic. The company is backed by three highly regarded board-certified physicians and a seasoned entrepreneur with a strong track record in growing small companies into large ones.
● Dr. Frank Lovecchio, DO, MPH, FACEP and Medical Director of Blue Door Therapeutics boasts over two decades of treating patients with substance use disorders. Dr. Lovecchio has served as the Medical Director of a Poison Control Center and is a professor and research scholar at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He is board certified in addiction medicine, medical toxicology, emergency medicine, and medical forensics. Dr. Lovecchio’s focus at the clinic will be on research analyzing the success rates of using cannabis for the treatment of opioid withdrawal and cravings versus traditional therapies.
● Dr. Gina Mecagni Berman, MD, CEO and co-founder of Blue Door Therapeutics, brings an esteemed career in both Addiction and Emergency Medicine to the treatment center. Dr. Berman practiced Emergency Medicine for ten years in Phoenix before transitioning to being the Medical Director of two medical cannabis dispensaries in Phoenix and Mesa. It was while seeing patients in the dispensary that Dr. Berman realized the benefits her patients were seeing in using cannabis to reduce or eliminate opioids.
● Dr. Ravi Chandiramani, ND, Medical Director and co-founder of Blue Door Therapeutics, brings a wealth of knowledge to the treatment center with over 10 years of practicing both traditional and naturopathic medicine to treat addiction. Dr. Chandiramani’s holistic approach to the treatment of substance use disorders has been refined over a decade of direct clinical experience with over 1,000 patients. Over the course of his career in addiction medicine, he has served as Medical Director for several organizations providing a range of specialty services including residential treatment, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment and private inpatient detox.
● Jason Doolittle, President of Blue Door Therapeutics, is a budding entrepreneur and three-time Inc. 500 senior sales and operations executive. Doolittle most recently served as the CEO of Base Commerce, where he led the company to place 60th on the 2015 Inc. 500 list for Fastest Growing Private Companies, ranking #1 in Arizona. Previously, he served as the Chief Sales Officer of Entrust Bankcard, President of Walnut Creek Realty and Sales Director of Skyline Financial Corp. Doolittle specializes in organization development, operations, business process re-engineering, turnaround management and financial operations.
Blue Door Therapeutics offers affordable treatment plans that vary depending on the patient’s needs. The process includes an initial visit and free consultation with the physicians to develop a treatment plan. The holistic healthcare clinic accepts insurance and is licensed by the Arizona Department of Health.
Blue Door Therapeutics is temporarily located at 10900 North Scottsdale Rd, Suite 609, in Scottsdale. Blue Door’s permanent location will open in North Scottsdale in Fall 2017. For more information, call 602-361-3868 or visit www.bluedoor.org.
