Friday, April 19, 2024
4/19/2024
The Erie County Health Department (ECHD), located in Sandusky, Ohio, is serving as the lead applicant for this proposed project. ECHD has secured partnerships with First Responder agencies throughout Erie, Huron, and Ottawa Counties to train and equip First Responders to administer Naloxone to suspected drug overdose victims. After a person has been saved, they will be referred to the Circle of Care. Locally, ECHD championed this model of recovery utilizing key partnerships in the community. The Circle of Care begins with medically supervised detoxification at ECHD, then refers persons to the appropriate post-detox treatment (inpatient, intensive outpatient, etc.), secures housing in sober living communities or recovery housing in Erie County, and finally, the model ends with long-term recovery support services provided by Recover Community Organizations. The project is titled “Saving Lives: Erie, Huron, and Ottawa Counties.” The populations to be served include Erie, Huron and Ottawa Counties. The US Department of Commerce, Economics & Statistics Administration & the US Census Bureau, has designated the counties as Micropolitan Statistical Areas, therefore, our project shall be considered to be a rural community. We anticipate our project expanding to other rural Counties in years 2 – 4. ECHD has trained and equipped 466 First Responders and 168 community members with Naloxone since 2015. Combined, the First Responders have reported over 300 overdose reversals using Naloxone. Even with these 300 confirmed reversals, Erie County’s drug overdose death rates have nearly doubled since 2015. And, the number of Emergency Department visits due to drug overdoses has more than tripled since 2015! This fact serves as justification that ECHD’s current efforts and capacity need to be enhanced and expanded upon in order to reverse the current drug epidemic. Huron and Ottawa Counties have seen similar trends as well as their drug overdose death rates and Emergency Department visits due to drug overdoses have increased since 2015 as well. ECHD operates a fully-funded Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) on its main campus in Sandusky, Ohio. Sandusky is a designated Medically Underserved Population and is designated as both Mental Health and Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas. The FQHC serves over 4,100 unduplicated patients per year. There are no private providers accepting new Medicaid or self-pay patients within Erie County. ECHD’s FQHC provides a broad range of primary care, oral health care, and behavioral health care services. Because ECHD operates an FQHC, we have the ability to integrate primary care and oral health care into the drug overdose survivor’s treatment regimens. A plethora of research indicates that people with access to preventative and diagnostic health care are more likely to be in control of their health, which, in turn, grants them a greater opportunity to effectively manage their recovery. People with access to quality health care, face fewer health challenges compared to people who have limited ability to access or afford health care. We believe healthy people have a superior quality of life, and healthy people in recovery have fewer challenges to live a prosperous life. ECHD has a strong track record of training and equipping First Responders with Naloxone. In addition, we have built a medically supervised detoxification facility, secured affiliation agreements for post-detox treatment, and we are in the process of acquiring property to renovate into recovery housing and sober living communities, finally, we have strong existing partnerships with RCO's in Northwest Ohio. Our project will save thousands of lives, improve quality of life, and improve virtually every sector of society through this project.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
