Responding to the opioid crisis through education and overdose prevention
Every second counts during an opioid overdose — it can mean the difference between life and death. That’s why M Health Fairview has partnered with the Steve Rummler Hope Network and other community partners to help address the opioid epidemic through overdose prevention.
Opioid use – including heroin, morphine, and oxycodone – continues to rise in Minnesota and across the country. 1,002 Minnesotans died from an opioid-involved drug overdose in 2022, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. This number hides the significant racial disparities behind it, which are worsening. American Indian and Black Minnesotans are 10 and three times respectively as likely to die from an opioid overdose than white Minnesotans.
“As a healthcare system, M Health Fairview is committed to providing equitable care and services to our neighbors,” said Ingrid Johansen, director of community clinical care for M Health Fairview Community Advancement. “We are working to make a difference by providing education on opioid overdose prevention and assembling and distributing overdose reversal kits that can save lives.”
Naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses an overdose from opioids, can help prevent fatal overdoses. It is given in one of two ways — through a nasal spray, known as Narcan, or an injection. In 2014, Steve’s Law was passed by the Minnesota state legislature allowing first responders, law enforcement, and trained community members to administer naloxone to someone experiencing an opioid overdose. The law also provides limited immunity to those who call 911 to save a life.
M Health Fairview Community Advancement is helping co-develop culturally responsive training about overdose prevention and naloxone use and informing community members about available resources. Trainings are offered in three languages, Somali, Spanish, and English, and plans are underway to develop Karen- and Hmong-speaking trainings. The team hosts regular training and kit packing events for employees, local high school students, and community volunteers. Participants learn how to recognize an opioid overdose; what naloxone is and how it works; how to properly administer naloxone to someone experiencing an overdose; and more. Since January 2023, Community Advancement has held 30 training sessions — training more than 600 Fairview staff, students, and community members — and packed 9,571 overdose prevention kits.
“The response from the trainings has been very positive,” said Johansen. “The more kits easily available in the community and the more people who know how to correctly administer naloxone, the better. These efforts are saving lives and give people a chance at recovery.”
Low-barrier naloxone access points (NAPs) are located across the state at businesses, nonprofits, churches, public health and human services offices, and health facilities. M Health Fairview Community Advancement has been instrumental in increasing the number of NAP sites, including at local mosques. Kits are available for free at NAP sites and contain three Naloxone vials, three syringes, a pair of gloves, alcohol swabs, a mouth-breathing barrier, and an instruction sheet in four languages. M Health Fairview currently has three NAP sites, the Fairview Community Health and Wellness Hub in downtown St. Paul, M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center – West Bank, and at our Health Commons location in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, Minneapolis.
In addition to its community support in addressing this epidemic, M Health Fairview specializes in providing comprehensive care for people with substance use disorders, including inpatient and outpatient treatment. Our Mental Health and Addiction Services team works with individuals to help break the cycle of substance use before it takes a life.
“Addiction is a growing concern in our communities,” said Chris Beamish, vice president for Mental Health and Addiction Services. “There are stories in the news almost daily of the negative impact this disease has on individuals, their families, and our communities. Distribution of the opioid prevention kits helps gives our health system the opportunity to provide a second chance who are struggling with this disease.”
If you or a loved one struggling with opioid use disorder, help is available. Learn more.
