Penn Foundation Opens New Outpatient Alcohol Treatment Facility

Penn Foundation has opened a new outpatient alcohol-specific treatment facility– the L. Ruby Horwood Center. Located at 711 Lawn Avenue (Building 1) in Sellersville, the facility offers outpatient counseling and intensive outpatient services for individuals abusing or addicted to alcohol.

“By developing an alcohol-specific treatment program, we are able to offer distinct services designed to address the unique needs of this population, which are usually very different than those struggling with an opioid addiction,” says Dr. Chris Squillaro, Penn Foundation’s Medical Director. “This will result in a better experience, and better outcomes, for both populations.”

Penn Foundation purchased the 6,000 square foot professional office building contiguous to its 30 acre campus in 2017. Acquiring this building represents a solution to ongoing space needs of the growing organization and continues a tradition of care established by the original physician and owner of the building. Renovations of the office building has transformed the facility into program space that will allow for expanded clinical responsiveness and flexibility for outpatient alcohol programs. This will allow Penn Foundation to provide more access to the treatment and services individuals and families need, when they need them.

The building is named after L. Ruby Horwood, former Penn Foundation Board member and former assistant to Penn Foundation’s founding Medical Director, Dr. Norman Loux. Ruby passed away in August 2017 at the age of 100. She met Dr. Loux in 1951 when she was setting up the medical library at Butler Hospital in Rhode Island. In 1955, Dr. Loux invited Ruby to move with him and his family to Souderton where she would be invaluable as an administrator of his private psychiatric practice. Ruby helped Dr. Loux and the founding Board members launch The Penn Foundation for Mental Health. In 1966, she became the Demonstrations Project Officer, coordinating and giving tours of Penn Foundation, and joined the Board of Directors as Secretary. Ruby’s dedication to Penn Foundation continued even after her death. As part of her estate plans, she bequeathed half of her estate to Penn Foundation.