BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The opioid epidemic is an ongoing battle across the region, but a new drug testing center in Burlington is working to meet testing demand and get help to people as quickly as possible.
While drug testing could be seen in a negative light for those struggling with substance use disorder, testing centers can provide results to get potentially lifesaving medications.
“There’s a lot of power in a good drug test,” said Andrea Belec with Champlain Toxicology Lab, who sorts through dozens of urine samples a day.
As the lab’s operations manager, she holds patients’ recovery efforts in her hands.
“We take incredible care with those samples once they come in because we know the impact that a bad drug test can have on somebody,” said Belec.
The center opened on May 1 in a shared building with the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County. It came at a critical time as Averhealth testing in Burlington closed its doors.
“The opioid epidemic is not slowing down. We really wanted to meet the needs of our community,” said Jessica Fike of Champlain Toxicology Lab.
The center collects samples from walk-ins and people in recovery programs and sends them off to their lab in Plattsburgh for testing. They aim for same-day or 24-hour turnaround, recognizing the life-changing power of test results.
“When I submit a sample, when am I going to get those results? And it was dependent on, ‘He didn’t get his meds if that drug test didn’t come back the way he was hoping it would,’ and thankfully, it did,” said Belec.
Testing centers play an essential role in cities like Burlington where testing needs are climbing and medical providers are often too swamped to test everyone.
“Any small part that we can do to offload the work that the providers have to do and take that on instead, we’re happy to do that,” said Fike.
Part of that work is creating an environment where patients feel comfortable and supported. That inspired an art display in the lab’s main room that features work from artists in recovery.
“It’s a way to kind of deliver the message for the artist to say, ‘Hey, I’ve been through this and it gets better,’ for people who are walking in the door to know that they’re not alone,” said Fike.
While Belec has fielded countless samples, she says patients’ stories stick with her and results feel personal.
“It was fun seeing them being on their 30 days clean, and their 60 days clean, and six months, and some of them we would kind of follow through drug court. And so you did celebrate their victories,” she said.
Staffers say they hope to eventually open a lab in Burlington for faster testing and turnaround.