Not only they helped me with the right treatment, but they also did right by me. They showed me what compassion means, they made me feel like my life was worth it and helped me to fight for it. They gave me the best service I've ever received.
About WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital
WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital in Pennsylvania provides mental health and addiction treatment services to clients of all ages. Specialized care is available to older and geriatric clients. They trace their roots back more than 65 years.
Most major insurance plans are accepted, while financial counseling can answer any payment questions you may have.
Comprehensive Behavioral Health Care in Lancaster County
As a hospital, this facility is equipped to offer a range of support services, including inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services. You can also access stabilization and crisis intervention services in case of mental health or substance use emergencies.
Programs tend to focus on dual diagnosis care, and feature medication and case management services.
The inpatient program accepts adults aged 18 and older and blends psychiatric and behavioral support services for short-term, personalized care. Medical and surgical staff consultations are available to those who need them.
A Modern Recovery Facility
Benefit from comfortable inpatient units, featuring quiet, peaceful spaces where you can reflect and relax. Meanwhile, the center’s outpatient program offers flexibility that’s ideal for anyone seeking to juggle work or study commitments alongside their recovery. Both programs encourage family involvement and feature aftercare planning to support sustainable, long-term recovery results.
Former client feedback suggests the facility provides a welcoming environment, and provides effective, high-quality care.
You’ll find the hospital near downtown Ephrata, conveniently close to the Ephrata Rec Center that can support your recovery journey through exercise and sports. It’s also near Cocalica Creek.
Fact checked and written by:
Lauren Thompson
Edited by:
Peter Lee, PhD
Latest Reviews
Had a 3 day stay here in January and I couldn't stop raving about how well I was taken care of. But let me tell you the horror story of my June visit. I was admitted from the ER at 10pm, having arrived at 4:45. I was told I would probably be facing surgery in the morning so no food or liquid overnight BUT since I hadn't eaten that day, they would find me something before midnight. After reminding them multiple times I got a tiny bun with a slice of turkey,a cup of soda and a cup of water. At midnight the water was taken away from me. Jump ahead to 16 hours later, having had MANY imaging and blood tests, the podiatry dept who was supposed to do the surgery still hadn't even been up to say hi or looked at any test results. I was still on no food, no liquids. I finally told my nurse I was leaving and podiatry was there in 15 minutes. After 16 hours of being told I was going to lose my toe that day, the podiatrist looked at it and said, "Nah, I see no reason for surgery." And I was discharged. I was told to miss work for two more days and asked for an excuse, which was promised to me. They gave me dinner and then rushed me out of there. When I got home and went through my discharge papers, there was no work excuse. I tried to message the doctor I had spoken to on the app, but you can't do that. It doesn't allow you. So I called the number on the paperwork and spoke to the charge nurse on duty as instructed, and her response to my request for an excuse was, "Ummmmmm, I don't think we do that. You have to call your doctor for that." Not, let me find out for sure because I don't know. Not, of we made a mistake, let us fix it. It was just, I don't know what I'm doing, make it someone else's problem. I TRULY regret switching from LGH to Wellspan now. Nicole, I will probably be switching back because of you. I can't believe I let these people poke and prod my body.
First time dealing w/this hospital. It took us 3 months to get in for a tilt table test and 4 days prior they called to cancel it bc "something came up". We pushed back and they agreed to see us. The place is clean and staff is friendly. It's very cold inside though. While waiting on my daughter to have the roughly one hour procedure I was left in a waiting area on the 2nd floor. It was absolutely freezing. So cold my eyes and nose were running and not a tissue box in sight. Resorted to using paper towels from the bathroom. As soon as we left the 2nd floor the temp was noticeabley better.
I’m grateful for our community to have a hospital in the area for severe emergencies but it’s just not my first choice and I’m never really thrilled with the care. I generally don’t choose this place and yesterday was a reminder as to why. Lancaster General and other locations are far superior and treat their patients with care and respect but I was in SO much pain I didn’t want to do the drive. I was seen yesterday for severe pain in my shoulder radiating down my arm with numbness. I thought I had some sort of injury/nerve related because of the pain. They assessed me for a stroke, which I understand, but their main focus wasn’t the initial reason I came in and didn’t really look much at my arm or care why I had come in. The pain was about a level 10. I have four kids, one of them is a toddler, I couldn’t stand, couldn’t change diapers and the only relief I could seem to get was lying on the floor with my arm stretched out which isn’t going to work when you have children relying on you for care. The car ride in was excruciatingly painful - After they ruled out the stroke - All they did was give me a bunch of pain relief (which I was grateful for) but then immediately sent me home with no regiment of what I need to be doing to manage the pain, no real assessment of my shoulder, no xray or MRI. So as soon as the pain medication wore off, I’m back to being in excruciating pain again. I wish they had been more thorough in finding out exactly what was wrong with my shoulder/neck instead of just focusing on whether or not I had a stroke, which was not why I came. I also kept having things said to me that all the emergency departments job to do is to make sure this isn’t life-threatening and this isn’t life-threatening. However, what I will say is it was a Sunday and it was Mother’s Day and there’s no doctors offices open and my only option was to go to the emergency room because of the level of pain that I was in. I found them unsympathetic and dismissive and didn’t take me seriously or really even care for that matter. No appropriate discharge instructions or recommendations on treatment or pain management. This isn’t my first rodeo at emergency departments and I know what the goal is, however they could have handled it differently and with much more care. I refuse to go here unless absolutely necessary.
Rehab Score
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5 / 10
Location
Other Forms of Payment
Medicaid is a state based program that helps lower-income individuals and families pay for healthcare. Medicaid covers addiction treatment so those enrolled can use their coverage to pay for rehab. When a program accepts Medicaid the client often pays very little or nothing out of their own pocket.
Private insurance refers to any kind of healthcare coverage that isn't from the state or federal government. This includes individual and family plans offered by an employer or purchased from the Insurance Marketplace. Every plan will have different requirements and out of pocket costs so be sure to get the full details before you start treatment.
Self-pay involves paying for treatment out of your own pocket. You can use savings or credit, get a personal loan, or receive help from family and friends to fund your treatment. If you don't have insurance or your insurance plan doesn't cover a specific program, self-pay can help ensure you still get the care you need.
Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for those 65 and older. It also serves people under 65 with chronic and disabling health challenges. To use Medicare for addiction treatment you need to find a program that accepts Medicare and is in network with your plan. Out of pocket costs and preauthorization requirements vary, so always check with your provider.
Military members, veterans, and eligible dependents have access to specific insurance programs that help them get the care they need. TRICARE and VA insurance can help you access low cost or no cost addiction and mental health treatment. Programs that accept military insurance often have targeted treatment focused on the unique challenges military members, veterans, and their families face.
Addiction Treatments
Levels of Care
Residential treatment programs are those that offer housing and meals in addition to substance abuse treatment. Rehab facilities that offer residential treatment allow patients to focus solely on recovery, in an environment totally separate from their lives. Some rehab centers specialize in short-term residential treatment (a few days to a week or two), while others solely provide treatment on a long-term basis (several weeks to months). Some offer both, and tailor treatment to the patient's individual requirements.
Treatments
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Programs
Adult rehab programs include therapies tailored to each client's specific needs, goals, and recovery progress. They are tailored to the specific challenges adult clients may face, including family and work pressures and commitments. From inpatient and residential treatment to various levels of outpatient services, there are many options available. Some facilities also help adults work through co-occurring conditions, like anxiety, that can accompany addiction.
Young adulthood can be an exciting, yet difficult, time of transition. Individuals in their late teens to mid-20s face unique stressors related to school, jobs, families, and social circles, which can lead to a rise in substance use. Rehab centers with dedicated young adult programs will include activities and amenities that cater to this age group, with an emphasis on specialized counseling, peer socialization, and ongoing aftercare.
Clinical Services
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Experiential therapy is a form of therapy in which clients are encouraged to surface and work through subconscious issues by engaging in real-time experiences. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body, and having clients engage in activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression. This can involve role-play or using props (which can include other people). Experiential therapy can help people process trauma, memories, and emotion quickly, deeply, and in a lasting fashion, leading to substantial and impactful healing.
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a way of getting nicotine into the bloodstream without smoking. It uses products that supply low doses of nicotine to help people stop smoking. The goal of therapy is to cut down on cravings for nicotine and ease the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
Nutrition therapy, aka medical nutrition therapy (MNT), is a way of treating physical, emotional, and medical conditions through diet. Specific dietary plans are designed by professional nutritionists or registered dietitians, and patients follow them in order to positively affect their physical and mental health.
Staff
Roxanna L. Gapstur, PhD, RN
President & CEO
Anthony Aquilina, DO
Executive VP & Chief Physician Executive
Laura Buczkowski
Executive VP & CFO
Cynthia Fruitrail
Executive VP & Chief Strategy Officer
Kasey Paulus
Executive VP & COO
David Vega, MD
Senior VP & Chief Medical Officer
Contact Information
169 Martin Avenue
Ephrata, PA 17522
Get Help Now - 717-287-9194
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