The announcement that Tellurian’s detox center is closing on December 31st , has become big news, and we wanted to fill in some of the missing bits of information to help shed light on the implications this decision will have on our community.
Tellurian Behavioral Health learned recently that Dane County Human Services has rescinded a Dane County board approved decision to extend detox services for three months. Tellurian has appealed this decision twice, and has been rejected. This extension was intended to provide time for Tellurian and the county to come to terms concerning the future of detox services in Dane County.
The Detox Center was opened 40 years ago by Tellurian founder, Michael Florek, and Medical Director, Dr. Brian Lochen as a cost-effective and clinical alternative to an over-burdened system. With the Detox Center, police can drop off an impaired patient in need of detoxification in about 20 minutes, and then be back out in the community protecting and serving. If the police have to take that same individual to an ER, they must wait with that individual until they are admitted, which can often take an average of 4-6 hours. This removes that law enforcement professional from serving our community, and takes up beds in our already over-burdened emergency rooms. The same situation existed forty years ago, and still holds true today. The difference in costs are also significant. Taking an intoxicated person to an emergency room results in average costs of $3500 to the county. Taking that same person, with the same circumstances, to the Detox Center would result in $800 per day charged to the county.
The discussion for changes to the current contract with Dane County arose earlier this year when Tellurian asked for an adjustment to meet ever increasing costs of doctors, nurses, and medical professionals. Last year, Tellurian lost three quarters of a million dollars due to this pricing disparity, and was on track to do the same in 2026. This would not be feasible for any business.
Under a motion during the board’s November meeting by District 2 Dane County Supervisor Heidi Wegleitner, a three-month extension was suggested. Dane County Human Services rescinded that option recently, and Tellurian entered two appeals, both of which were denied. With Dane County pulling out of this extension, funding for the detox center will end at midnight on December 31st . Further, Tellurian must move out of the current detox center by January 18th, because Dane County owns that building.
Tellurian is exploring other options to keep detox services in Dane County. This includes applying for licensing and being open to discussing all options. Currently, Tellurian operates twenty programs related to addiction, mental health, and homelessness throughout Wisconsin, and works with the majority of the counties and indigenous tribes to serve their communities. Tellurian has always had the best interests of our patients at the center of all business decisions, and this will not change.
Tellurian is hopeful that a partnership with all of the stakeholders is still possible to keep a detox center in Dane County, and is open to discussion on all options. Taking this service out of our community will mean that some of the most vulnerable in our community will not get services they so desperately need. This result is not what Tellurian had hoped for, but we remain committed to working on behalf of our patients to find a solution.
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