Broome County Health Department awarded funding to fight the opioid epidemic

The Broome County Health Department recently announced it is one of four counties in New York State to receive funding from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to help build local health department capacity for opioid overdose prevention. The award is made possible through the help of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sponsored cooperative agreement entitled: Prescription Drug Overdose Prevention in NYS, which was awarded to Health Research Incorporated on behalf of the NYSDOH. 

The Opioid Overdose Prevention Project aims to assist local health departments with strengthening linkages to sectors of the community that are instrumental in reducing and preventing opioid overdoses. The Broome County Health Department will use the funding to enhance and expand the activities of the Broome Opioid Awareness Council (BOAC).

Broome County is working with New York State Opioid Overdose Prevention Program staff to determine outcomes for this funding. One of the major outcomes of this initiative is to improve community well being by increasing social inclusion and social cohesion, enabling community engagement and promoting active learning around opioid overdose prevention. 

Other intervention strategies include engaging providers in improving opioid prescribing practices; increasing access and reduce barriers to medication assisted treatment; encourage effective provider mentoring mechanisms such as preceptorships to support to clinicians; expanding the Peer Response Program to strengthen referral mechanisms with hospital emergency rooms, emergency services, law enforcement, parole, drug court, and other potential venues; promoting a harm reduction approach in provision of services to people who have substance use disorders; and reducing the stigma associated with substance use disorders.

One of the intervention strategies Broome County will implement is a brand-new evidence based media campaign created and tested by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The campaign is called The Prescription (Rx) Awareness Campaign, which looks to educate individuals about the dangers of prescription opioid abuse. The campaign focuses on adults, age 25 to 54, who have taken opioids at least once for medical or nonmedical use. The campaign uses effective social marketing mechanisms to reach those with substance use disorders, as well as physicians who are prescribing opioids. The campaign uses CDC’s past success strategy of testimonials to effectively communicate information about complex and sensitive health issues.

“The health department is pleased to be awarded funding to help battle one of the most critical public health issues of our time,” remarks Rebecca Kaufman, director of Public Health for Broome County. “We hope these additional resources will create sustainable interventions that will have a lasting impact on the health of our community,” Kaufman added. 

For more information on the NYSDOH Opioid Prevention Programs, visit www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/consumers/prevention/opioidprevention/factsheet.htm.

For more information, the CDC Opioid Overdose Prevention for States, visit www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/states/state_prevention.html.

For more information on Rx Awareness Campaign, visit www.cdc.gov/rxawareness/.

For more information on the Broome County Opioid Awareness Council, visit www.gobroomecounty.com/boac.