Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Overdose Response - Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA -23-038 Project Title: MCHS – RCORP OPIOID OVERDOSE RESPONSE Address: Marshfield Clinic, 1000 N. Oak Avenue, Marshfield, WI 54449 Project Director: Meagan Barnett, Program Manager – Community Health Phone: 715-221-8422 Email: Barnett.Meagan@marshfieldclinic.org Website Address: http://www.marshfieldclinic.org Requested funds: $300,000 As the largest, nonprofit, integrated rural healthcare system serving Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) will implement a multi-level support system in response to the opioid overdose crisis in rural Wisconsin. The Wisconsin HRSA-designated rural counties addressed in this project are Barron, Dodge, Portage, and Rusk counties, each of which has a rural population facing numerous barriers to healthcare, limited resources, and a growing opioid epidemic. Individuals in these counties who are suffering with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) often face stigmatization regarding their condition and may not have access to the life-saving medication, NARCAN, to avoid an overdose death. For those seeking treatment and recovery, provider options within a drivable distance are limited. Patients with SUD/OUD are often forced to travel several hours (sometimes daily) to receive treatment from a provider who is both knowledgeable and understanding of their condition and well-versed in treatment options such as Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), which has proven highly effective in patients seeking recovery. With the full support of MCHS, including the renowned Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, as well as community partners and coalitions, this project seeks to improve treatment and recovery services for an estimated 600 individuals in the targeted counties who are suffering from SUD/OUD. Project implementation will result in sustainable, system-wide improvements in patient care and treatment for SUD/OUD, and increase community-wide access to resources that lead to better care for patients with SUD/OUD. The project will also minimize the number of opioid-related deaths by expanding access to life-saving measures in the regions. The project will address the following activities as outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity: Activity 1. Purchasing and distributing naloxone, fentanyl test strips or other relevant supplies within the target rural service area; Activity 3. Offering certification, formalized training programs, and/or professional mentorship opportunities to enhance providers’ ability to care for individuals with SUD/OUD, such as (but not limited to), Peer Recovery Coach certification, Medication Assisted Treatment waiver training, and Project Echo; Activity 4. Assisting uninsured individuals with SUD/OUD in the target rural service area with obtaining health insurance and accessing SUD/OUD treatment and other behavioral health and social services; and Activity 8. Providing Continuing Education Units (CEU) as well as Continuing Medical Education Units (CME) that are recognized by their respective boards, which allow for providers to enhance their ability to provide care to individuals with SUD/OUD. Over the course of twelve months, project staff will engage hospital staff and resources and community partners in creating a sustainable, Recovery-Oriented System of Care (ROSC) that expands access and resources to a vulnerable population.
