Meet our Team.

Here’s who we are, what we believe, and how we care for people.

Medical Staff, NP

Katelyn Sharp

Katelyn Sharp has been working as a Nurse Practitioner at C.O.R.E. since 2018. Katelyn earned her degree at Vanderbilt University. She began her NP career in primary care, and just so happened to get an opportunity to shadow for a day in a new MAT program. That day kickstarted her interest in opioid dependence medicine, and she now never wants to do anything else. Katelyn conducts patient admissions and provides critical medical care to our patient population.

Frequently Asked Questions

Initially, an intake assessment and admission medical history and exam is completed by counseling and medical staff. Treatment options are discussed and a course of action taken. Medication recommendations are made and initated to balance safety and benefit as much as possible. It is very important to let counseling, dispensing and medical staff know how the medication is working or not so appropriate adjustments can be made.

At C.O.R.E., we strive to individualize treatment and maximize success. There is no time pressure. Some do well with short term treatment while others benefit from long term treatment. We know relapse is common and can have disasterous results. We work hard to treat each patient as long as is required to achieve long term success.

First we work closely with the individual to achieve a “normalizing’ dose of medication to alleviate withdrawal and craving while minimizing side effects. Working closely with medical, dispensing and counseling staff most often allows us to achieve this goal in the first few days to weeks.

Not necessarily. C.O.R.E. Medical Clinic serves patients in Sacramento, West Sacramento, and surrounding areas. People often choose a clinic based on accessibility, treatment needs, and location.

C.O.R.E. Medical Clinic accepts several health insurance plans, including Medi-Cal, MHN, Anthem, Medicare, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Optum, Blue Shield of California, Magellan Health, and Western Health Advantage.

As most patients entering treatment know, opioid withdrawal is awful and inevitably leads to continued use. We are sensitive to how terrible the craving, restlessness, anxiety, bone aches, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, sweating, etc. can be. If alcohol, benzodiazepines, stimulants, or other drugs are involved withdrawal can be medically dangerous and require residential or coordinated medical care. Opioid withdrawal can be greatly reduced or eliminated by the early doses provided but again frequent contact with treatment staff for medication adjustments is very important.

The great majority of patients seeking treatment for opioid addiction can continue their normal life, including work, while they are working to find their ’normalizing’ medication dose. If residential or coordinated medical care is required, some time off may be necessary but again this will be individualized. Clinic hours are designed to accommodate the vast majority of working patients.

We work hard to educate patients about the benefits and safety of MAT. Many myths circulate about MAT such as it causing liver problems, bone problems and being harder to get off than fentanyl or heroin. These are absolutely false and will be discussed in detail with your treatment staff. Patients who receive MAT are much healthier than patients not in treatment. Learning to manage common side effects like constipation and weight gain can make patients healthier than they have ever been. All opioids are hard to get off but MAT can set up a very careful and safe detox when a patient is ready. An abrupt short term detox is not advised and can be difficult but a gradual, medically safe detox minimizes withdrawal symptoms. Supplemental safe, non addicting medications can further reduce unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Don't see an answer to your question?

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to help you.

Contact Us
Banner
NavigationHomeAboutServicesArticlesResourcesContact Us

You have right to verify a program’s license and/or certification status. You can do so at the following link:

Click here to verify
Logo

C.O.R.E Medical Clinic

© 2026 C.O.R.E. MEDICAL CLINIC.
All Rights Reserved.

HIPAA & Privacy Practices
Logo

Recovery With Respect

Improving the lives of individuals through comprehensive opioid replacement services

Contact Usor give us a call
Banner