CHICAGO, Illinois (March 30, 2022) – Chicago Reader's annual Best of Chicago issue, featuring winners nominated and selected by more than 45,000 readers, named the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Chicago location "Best Recovery Center."
The "Best of Chicago" issue is the publication's most well-read issue of the year, powered by almost 560,000 votes in more than 300 categories. The Chicago Reader has been a voice in Chicago media for more than 50 years, and its biweekly print issues are distributed to more than 1,200 locations. Learn more in this year's list of winners.
Recent research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that alcohol-related deaths spiked by 25% in 2020 over 2019, putting real numbers to the general awareness that pandemic-related stressors drove Americans to drink more to cope. Additionally, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted late last year, drug overdose deaths in the U.S. topped 100,000 in a single year for the first time, from May 2020 to April 2021. These startling statistics underscore the seriousness of the addiction crisis and how critical it is for patients to receive comprehensive, meaningful care.
"We are grateful that readers of Chicago Reader recognize the importance of helping families find high-quality, patient-centered treatment for substance use and mental health disorders," said Lauren Fish, Hazelden Betty Ford's director of Chicago services. "We love being a part of this community and want to help as many people as possible discover the life-changing gift of recovery."
"I'm really proud of our Chicago team. To be recognized among our peers doing the important work of connecting people in need with healing and hope is a testament to their great work and dedication to our mission," added Joseph Lee, MD, president and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
For more than 20 years, Hazelden Betty Ford has provided expert, comprehensive outpatient treatment in Chicago, earning recognition as a Center of Excellence among many top insurance providers. Offering multiple levels of trauma-informed outpatient treatment for substance use and mental health disorders—in both virtual and in-person settings—as well as recovery management and family services, Hazelden Betty Ford in Chicago is able to meet a range of specific needs.