BD Health Services is Baltimore’s largest independent MAT clinic network, offering more access points for outpatient opioid treatment than any other locally operated OTP in the region. At Wyng, we believe the most powerful engagement happens when organizations design experiences around the real needs of real people, not generic audiences. That’s why we sat down with Reuven Verschleisser, CEO of BD Health, to talk about what it takes to earn trust, reduce friction, and keep people engaged during one of the most difficult journeys of their lives.
Q: When someone first reaches out to BD Health about treatment, what does that moment typically look like, and how do you design for it?
A: That first contact is almost always a moment of courage mixed with fear. Someone is in real pain (physically, emotionally, or both), and they’ve worked up the nerve to finally make a change. The last thing they need is to be put on hold, handed a form, or made to feel like just another intake number. We design every first interaction around a single goal: make this person feel safe enough to take the next step.
For us, that means speaking with warmth, and without judgment. It means giving clear, honest answers about cost, insurance, what the first visit looks like, and what to expect from medication-assisted treatment. We remove ambiguity because ambiguity creates fear, and fear is what sends someone back into isolation. When people feel seen from the very first call, they show up.
Q: What are the biggest barriers that prevent people from beginning opioid use disorder treatment? How are BD Health’s services designed to reduce those barriers?
A: The three biggest barriers we see every day are stigma, shame, and logistical chaos. People delay treatment not because they don’t want to get better (they do!), but because they’re terrified of being judged, labeled, or turned away. And even when someone is ready, life gets in the way: transportation, childcare, work schedules, fear of what treatment actually involves.
Our business model is positioned to address this directly. Our clinics operate with early morning hours, and Sunday availability at select locations, so that treatment better fits into a person’s day-to-day life. We’re insurance- and Medicaid-friendly. We offer integrated care (medication-assisted treatment combined with counseling) so patients don’t have to juggle multiple providers at once. And critically, we’ve built a culture where staff remember names, listen without rushing, and walk alongside patients through setbacks rather than discharging them. When engagement feels possible and safe, people stay in treatment and outcomes improve.
Q: Wyng’s business model is built around the idea of progressive engagement: learning what people need over time, rather than demanding everything at once. Does that concept resonate with how recovery relationships develop at BD Health?
A: Completely. You can’t build trust in one visit. In our experience, when patients first come through the door, they share what they’re comfortable sharing. As they feel safer, as they see that our team isn’t going to judge them or discharge them for being honest, they open up more. That’s when we can really start personalizing care.
We think of it as village-style support, where knowing someone’s story, their triggers, their family situation, their goals, makes treatment more effective. A provider who listens and learns over time is infinitely more valuable than one who asks for everything upfront and checks boxes. In the context of opioid use disorder treatment, that progressive trust-building directly impacts whether someone stays in treatment, and the speed at which they recover.
Q: What does personalized care look like inside an outpatient MAT clinic, and why does it matter for long-term recovery outcomes?
A: Personalized care in outpatient medication-assisted treatment means recognizing that two patients with the same diagnosis can have completely different needs. One person is managing a job and childcare while in treatment. Another is dealing with trauma, housing instability, and co-occurring mental health challenges. The medication protocol might be similar, but the support, the pace, the counseling focus: all of that has to reflect the individual.
At BD Health, our integrated care model is designed to address the whole person, not just the substance use. We help patients understand the underlying drivers of their addiction. We connect them to mental health resources, employment support, and community. Evidence-based addiction treatment only achieves lasting results when it accounts for the full complexity of someone’s life. That’s what separates genuine recovery support from a “gas and go” clinic model.
Q: What lessons from addiction treatment do you think can apply to other organizations trying to build long-term trust and meaningful engagement with the people it serves?
A: The biggest one is this: people can tell when you actually care about them. In any high-stakes engagement, whether it’s healthcare, financial services, or a consumer platform, the companies that build real loyalty are the ones that treat people like whole human beings, not just data points in a funnel.
Second: don’t ask for trust before you’ve earned it. Give people value, give them dignity, give them a reason to stay, and over time they’ll become your most loyal advocates. In our world, that’s a patient who stays in treatment long-term, rebuilds their life, and potentially refers their family or friends. In the engagement space, I imagine it looks like a customer who not only converts, but becomes a champion for the brand. The mechanism is the same: consistent, genuine, human-centered care.
BD Health Services operates six outpatient MAT clinic locations across the Baltimore region, offering Methadone and Buprenorphine (Suboxone) treatment, individual counseling, and integrated recovery support. To learn more or speak with a care team member, visit bdhealthservices.com.
