DILLON, SC (WBTW) – A Dillon County doctor wants to build a rehab facility in the county to help women struggling with addiction. 

Dr. Marla Hardenbergh worked as an Obstetrician-Gynecologist all over the U.S. She says the opioid epidemic throughout the Pee Dee region is the worst she’s seen.

“This is devastating here,” said Hardenbergh. “My patients are not dying with nearly as much the regularity or severity of breast cancer, cervical cancer or the other things I was taught to screen for as they are from substance use disorder.”

Two years ago, Hardenbergh started the Sail- Initiative a non-profit organization. After she noticed she was delivering an addicted baby every week.

“I’m not only seeing the devastating consequences to these babies. I’m seeing families broken up and legal consequences occurring as a result of this disease progressing. When we know this disease is progressing. It’s my job to be the bridge between the disease and the treatment,” she explained.

Hardenbergh’s research shows the Pee Dee loses about $1.1 billion each year in healthcare costs, lost wages and legal consequences.

She plans to teach local doctors how to screen patients for addiction better using the most up to date research. She also wants to help doctors put patients in touch with treatment facilities.

Most of all, she urges doctors to understand addiction is not a choice but a disease.

“Unless they see it as that. They won’t change their perspective and if they don’t change the perspective they won’t change the experience,” she said.

The next step is to build a rehab facility in Dillon County for about a dozen women. The building will cost the group about $2.6 million.

 “I expect there to be women there from Horry, Marion, Marlboro County. There will be women at this facility from all of these different areas,” said Hardenbergh.

She plans to work with local and state lawmakers to bring more resources to the area.

“If just one patient is helped, if just one woman has a different outcome as a result, it was worth it,” she said. “If just one doctor, or one nurse practitioner, or one physician assistant sees this as the disease that it is and makes practice changes to help screen for it and provide intervention without a prescription pad. It will be worth it.”

In April, the nonprofit will begin a 12-month study. The group is also raising money to buy the land for the new rehab facility. For more information on the nonprofit organization visit http://sail-initiative.org/.