Avesta Ketamine Opens Norfolk Clinic, Offering New Hope for Veterans

NORFOLK, Va. – April 23, 2026 – Avesta Ketamine and Wellness, a prominent provider of monitored ketamine treatments, has opened its newest clinic in Norfolk, marking a significant expansion aimed at serving the Hampton Roads region's large veteran and military community. The new facility represents the company's first foray beyond the greater Washington, D.C. area and a direct response to a growing demand for alternative mental health solutions for treatment-resistant conditions.

A New Front in Mental Healthcare

Located at 6275 E Virginia Beach Blvd, the new 1,000-square-foot clinic is strategically positioned next to Sentara Leigh Hospital. It houses five private care rooms designed to provide a calm and safe environment for patients undergoing treatments such as intravenous (IV) ketamine therapy, the FDA-approved Spravato™ (esketamine) nasal spray, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP).

This expansion is the fifth for the company since its founding in 2018 and signals a strategic move into a market identified as critically underserved. The decision was driven, in part, by direct patient need. "Norfolk and the greater Hampton Roads region have been on our radar for some time, as we've had patients from southern Virginia who take the train multiple hours each way just to seek out our treatments in D.C.," said Dr. Ladan Eshkevari, founder and co-CEO of Avesta.

Dr. Eshkevari, a professor emeritus at Georgetown University with over three decades of clinical and research experience in anesthesia, emphasized the specific focus on the local demographic. "With the area's higher veteran and military population for whom, unfortunately, mental health issues are more common, and the lack of alternative mental health resources available in the area until now, we hope to meet a need that has been historically underserved."

Addressing a Critical Need in Hampton Roads

The Hampton Roads area is home to one of the nation's largest concentrations of military personnel and veterans, a population that faces disproportionately high rates of mental health challenges. Conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment-resistant depression, and chronic pain are particularly prevalent. While local organizations like NAMI Coastal Virginia and the Norfolk Community Services Board provide essential support, gaps remain, especially for individuals who have not found relief through conventional treatments.

Ketamine therapy has emerged as a promising option in these cases. A recent study from the University of Michigan and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System found that nearly half of veterans with severe, treatment-resistant depression experienced significant symptom reduction after a course of IV ketamine infusions. Another meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Psychiatry confirmed notable improvements in pain, depression, and PTSD among veterans receiving the treatment.

Avesta's role as a Community Care provider with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is central to its mission in Norfolk. This partnership allows eligible veterans to access the clinic's specialized services, bridging a crucial accessibility gap.

The Science and Strategy of an Emerging Treatment

Once known primarily as an anesthetic, ketamine has gained significant traction over the past two decades for its rapid and powerful antidepressant effects. Administered in a controlled, sub-anesthetic dose, it works on different neural pathways than traditional antidepressants, often providing relief within hours or days rather than weeks. The U.S. ketamine clinic market, valued at over $3.4 billion in 2023, is projected to more than double by 2030, reflecting its growing acceptance.

Despite this, IV ketamine's use for mental health remains an "off-label" application, as it is not yet FDA-approved for psychiatric conditions. This has created a complex landscape for providers and patients. Avesta, which has administered over 20,000 treatments across its locations, operates under strict safety protocols overseen by Dr. Eshkevari and a team of highly trained nurse practitioners.

The expansion into Norfolk is a calculated business decision, targeting a demographic with a clear need and a pathway to coverage through the VA. It places Avesta at the forefront of a burgeoning wellness sector focused on providing innovative, evidence-based solutions where traditional medicine has fallen short.

Navigating the Regulatory and Insurance Maze

For many, the biggest hurdle to accessing ketamine therapy is cost. Because IV infusions are considered "off-label," most commercial insurance plans do not cover the treatment, forcing patients to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket. While the FDA-approved Spravato™ nasal spray has broader insurance coverage, it is still subject to strict prior authorization requirements.

This is where Avesta's partnership with the VA becomes a game-changer for the local veteran community. The VA has been increasingly progressive in its approach to mental healthcare, covering both Spravato™ and, in many cases, off-label IV ketamine infusions for veterans with documented treatment-resistant depression through its Community Care Program. This allows veterans to receive care from private-sector providers like Avesta at no cost to them.

"It's an enormous privilege to be a Community Care provider with the V.A.," stated Deborah Tan, co-CEO of Avesta. "We are thankful that the V.A. is on the cutting edge of offering mental health treatments, including approving IV ketamine treatments nationally."

A Shifting National Landscape

Avesta's expansion coincides with a broader national shift in attitudes toward alternative and psychedelic-assisted therapies for mental illness. This momentum was recently bolstered by an Executive Order signed by President Trump on April 18, 2026, aimed at accelerating the development and approval of psychedelic drugs for serious mental health conditions. The order directs federal agencies to streamline review processes, fund state-level research, and create pathways for patient access to investigational drugs under "Right to Try" laws.

This policy shift provides a powerful tailwind for organizations like Avesta and the entire field of psychedelic medicine. It signals growing recognition at the highest levels of government that new tools are desperately needed to combat the nation's mental health crisis, particularly among veterans.

As the regulatory environment evolves, Avesta plans to stay at the vanguard. "With the recent Executive Order... there is growing momentum behind alternative mental health treatments," Tan noted. "We plan to remain at the forefront of offering these treatments as research on their efficacy becomes more clear and when the FDA approves them." The new Norfolk clinic stands as a tangible step in that direction, bringing a new class of therapies to a community in need.