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Dr. Laura Kornegay has been selected to be the executive director of Rockbridge Recovery, an organization that provides services for individuals recovering from addiction.
Kornegay is the former director of the Central Shenandoah Health District, having served in that position from 2015 to 2021. In that role she helped guide the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership experience, a spokeswoman said, to the growing organization founded by recovering addict Bobby Slagle in 2021. A medical doctor, she holds a medical degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in public health from Benedictine University.
“We are so incredibly grateful for the foundation that Bobby built here at Rockbridge Recovery,” said Kornegay. “We’re focusing now on the next phase of the mission to provide long-term recovery for this region.”
Kornegay will be providing education and outreach while helping to form community partnerships and seeking grant funding for the treatment of addiction and other public health issues. The team at Rockbridge Recovery consists of a board of directors, staff and volunteers working to support and sustain long-term recovery from substance abuse that fosters hope, love and freedom from addiction.
The Rockbridge Recovery center has helped more than 120 clients since its inception in July of 2021. The center offers group meetings each weekday evening at the center, including Narcotics Anonymous, Grief Support and Peer Support groups for substance abuse. It is the region’s first harm reduction site to offer Narcan distribution as well as Rapid REVIVE training. Center Administrator Caytie Atkins is a Peer Recovery Specialist (PRS) who is also a REVIVEcertified trainer. She is currently in the process of becoming a SMART Recovery trainer. SMART Recovery will begin being offered at the center in 2024.
Construction of Rockbridge Recovery’s HOPE House, a six-person transitional facility, is well underway in Buena Vista. HOPE House will be the first of its kind in the area, and is slated to open in March of 2024. Tremendous progress has been made to date following demolition of areas damaged by a fire, said the spokeswoman. Welsh Construction has been instrumental in overseeing a variety of contractors committed to the project. By the end of 2023, electrical, plumbing and roofing components will be complete. Windows and siding will be installed in coming months, leading to final construction of walls and installation of flooring and HVAC.
The HOPE House project is being guided by an advisory committee of stakeholders, including Ingrid Barber (executive director, Alleghany Highlands Community Services Board), Greg Madsen (CEO, Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital), Steve DiMarzio (director, Roanoke Mission), Lori Turner (executive director, Community Foundation) and Kornegay. The house will apply for certification through the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR).
“The public’s view of addicts and their needs is softening, and our society is offering more compassion toward these individuals,” said Turner, who is serving as fiscal manager of the project. “States have readied funding for detox and addiction treatment programs, and real help is more readily available for addicts than ever before.
“Still, there are some shortfalls in providing current addicts and recovering addicts with everything they need to fully recover from addiction and become productive members of society again. One major deficit is in the availability of housing for those recovering from addiction. Rockbridge Recovery’s HOPE House plans to try to fill the gap in our area.”
She continued: “Sober living is a lifestyle characterized by healthy behaviors. It doesn’t include isolation. It includes building relationships, supporting others and practicing healthy ways to overcome triggers. Establishing a sober lifestyle is difficult during the early stages of recovery. Rockbridge Recovery provides clients a safe place to go, a place where they are free of triggers and surrounded by social support, and the Hope House will employ compassionate staff that support the recovery process.”
“Rockbridge Recovery is working hard to serve those who are seeking long-term recovery from substance abuse in the region,” said Kornegay. “We are focused on finding ways to sustain and grow our services to provide the best possible options for the clients who depend on us for their ongoing recovery.”
