Community partners, health care advocates, and addiction treatment professionals gathered on May 14 at the Master Center for Addiction Medicine’s Gloucester office to mark a milestone a decade in the making.
The celebration honored 10 years since Master Center—originally founded in Glen Allen in 2016 as the Virginia Center for Addiction Medicine—first opened its doors with a mission to deliver physician-led, comprehensive addiction treatment to Virginians who needed it.
Over that decade, Master Center has served more than 10,000 patients across all of its locations. Since expanding to Gloucester in 2021 and adding offices in Kilmarnock and Tappahannock in 2023, the organization has extended that reach to communities across the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.
“From the beginning, our vision was to bring high-quality, comprehensive treatment into the communities where our patients live and work—and to make it part of mainstream health care. That vision hasn’t changed. If anything, it drives us more than ever,” said Dr. James Thompson, Master Center’s founder and Chief Medical Officer.
“This anniversary belongs to the patients, the families, and communities we serve,” said CEO Anna McKean. “And it belongs to every partner we work with who shows up every day on the front lines of addiction treatment. None of this happens alone—it takes all of us.”
“The best part of my job is watching people who once felt ashamed or unsure if change was possible slowly start believing in themselves again. Recovery does not happen overnight, but I have seen people reconnect with family, find stability, and rebuild their lives. Watching those changes happen over time reminds me why this work matters,” said Charlotte Hall, Nurse Practitioner at Master Center’s Gloucester office.
Among those honored at the celebration was Bay Rivers Telehealth Alliance (BRTA), the Tappahannock-based nonprofit whose work expanding telehealth access—including medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder—across rural Eastern Virginia aligns closely with Master Center’s mission.
For those in Gloucester, Kilmarnock, Tappahannock or surrounding communities seeking help, Master Center offers confidential appointments. Visit mastercenter.com or call 757-844-3001. The Gloucester office is located at Edgehill Town Center on Main Street.