Rosecrance’s chief medical officer receives national award for clinical excellence

ST. LOUIS - Aug. 4, 2015 - PRLog -- Dr. Thomas Wright, Chief Medical Officer at Rosecrance Health Network, was honored Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015, as Addiction Professional magazine’s “Outstanding Clinician of the Year” in the physician category.

The award was presented at the National Conference on Addiction Disorders in St. Louis, MO. The award honors professionals who “demonstrate exemplary and innovative clinical skills in serving people with addictions,” according to the magazine. This is the seventh year for the award.

Dr. Wright joined Rosecrance in 2005 and has more than 20 years of experience in the field. He oversees all medical operations for Rosecrance and specializes in working with adolescents who have a co-existing or secondary diagnosis in addition to an addiction disorder.

Dr. Wright is certified as a child and adolescent psychiatrist by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and in addiction medicine by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He served on the faculty at Northwestern Medical College in Chicago and at The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and Rockford. Dr. Wright is a regular conference presenter and has been recognized as a medical educator and leader in the field of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

At Rosecrance, Dr. Wright has created a culture that is about overall care and wellness, not just addiction treatment or mental health services. Under his guidance, Rosecrance developed evidence-based treatment programs for populations with specific needs, including military veterans experiencing PTSD and other mental health disorders, first responders and young adults who need treatment for opiate dependence. He led the way in establishing the state’s first licensed detoxification program for adolescents at a treatment center.

The other winners of this year’s award are: Jene Gardner, Dual Diagnosis Counselor at Council on Addiction Recovery Services in Olean, NY, and Deborah Hill, Director of Nursing at Hill Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Temecula, CA.

About Rosecrance

Rosecrance is a leading provider of treatment services for substance use and mental health disorders. A private not-for-profit organization, Rosecrance serves more than 22,000 children, teens, adults and families each year. Rosecrance provides comprehensive care through inpatient and outpatient programs in Rockford, IL, and services at five satellite offices in Chicagoland and elsewhere in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The organization was founded in 1916 (More information at rosecrance.org).