The Champion Center in Lompoc has closed after its final patient graduated from the chemical-dependency treatment program that failed to meet financial goals and struggled to keep key staff jobs filled.
The facility opened in November 2014 at 303 South C St., the renovated home of the former Lompoc District Hospital.
“In the three years it was open, the Champion Center never met the projections anticipated in its financial pro forma,” said Jim Raggio, Lompoc Valley Medical Center chief executive officer.
When the Lompoc Valley Healthcare District built a new hospital on East Ocean Avenue, the old facility went through a massive makeover to provide treatment for substance-abuse problems.
Since opening, the Champion Center provided medical detox, residential treatment and sober living components, as well as outpatient partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment for chemical-dependency patients.
The recruitment and retention of physicians specializing in addiction medicine — a requirement for the admission of patients —was an ongoing challenge, Lompoc hospital officials said.
The center stopped accepting new patients at its medical detoxification unit on April 21, following the departure of its medical director.
“We’re working on solving some internal needs of the organization, and that may become part of the equation,” he said.
Champion Center Administrator Steve Collier said he and Raggio are working with Santa Barbara County officials to retain the services at the site.
“All options are currently being explored,” Raggio said.
The Champion Center was believed to be the first chemical-dependency rehabilitation hospital licensed in approximately 25 years in California.
Despite plans to treat first-responders — military members, law enforcement officers, firefighters and others — the facility only gained acceptance as a program covered by Tricare late last year. Tricare is the insurance program covering military members, retirees and their family members
The facility had 34 acute-care hospital beds, 15 residential beds and 30 recovery residences.
By the end of 2016, it had logged 355 patient admissions, Champion Center officials said.
The facility will continue to host the Champion Center Alumni Group each week, offering past residents a chance to share stories of recovery and support.
“In the past three years, the Champion Center was immensely successful in providing chemical detox for those individuals struggling with addiction,” Raggio said. “We’re very proud to have been involved in their recovery.”
In addition to the hospital and Champion Center, the Lompoc Valley Healthcare District also operates the Comprehensive Care Center.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.