KENTUCKY — Eight Kentucky organizations have received a total of $3 million to combat opioid abuse in rural communities, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Wednesday.
The funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services flows through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, which McConnell said he helped support in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The following organizations each received $300,000 to help combat the opioid and substance abuse epidemic in rural areas:
- Purchase District Health Department | Paducah
- Kentucky Rural Health Information Technology Network, Inc. | Corbin
- Mountain Comprehensive Care Center | Prestonsburg
- St. Claire Medical Center, Inc. | Morehead
- Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc. | Richmond
Three more organizations received federal funding under the RCORP Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome program, which provides prevention, treatment, and recovery in communities across the Commonwealth:
- $500,000 for Kentucky River Community Care, Inc. | Hazard
- $500,000 for Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville, Inc. | Madisonville
- $395,129 for St. Elizabeth Medical Center | Edgewood
McConnell highlighted the spike in overdose deaths in a news release, which he said renewed his urgency to fight addiction.
"“Today’s funding will support several important community efforts that play a vital role in addressing the opioid crisis across the Commonwealth," McConnell said. "Thanks to RCORP, these impactful organizations can continue to help those struggling with substance abuse get the resources they need to reclaim their health and turn their lives around.”