East Georgia Healthcare Center (EGHC) donated opioid response medications to Emanuel County Sheriff’s Department and Emanuel County Medical Center to assist in the treatment of opioid overdose in Emanuel County. As part of EGHC’s Rural Opioid Response Program (RCORP), EGHC identified important community partners that work on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) is a multi-year initiative by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), in rural communities at the highest risk for SUD. Sable Fleming, EGHC’s Patient Services Nurse commented, “We are proud to have been able to help our local law enforcement and hospital with these supplies. The opioid epidemic has grown tremendously over the past few years and opioid overdose deaths in Georgia have more than doubled since 2019 in our state.” EGHC’s RCORP plan includes the identification, prevention and treatment of opioid related diseases throughout their 13-county service area. EGHC urges anyone with questions or concerns about substance abuse identification or treatment to reach out to a healthcare professional early to help do your part to eliminate this issue in our community.
