HHS has awarded $25 million to 80 organizations that are battling the opioid epidemic in rural communities by providing prevention, treatment and recovery services.
The new monies bring the total allocation for this aim in fiscal 2020—a year that’s made it easy to overlook non-COVID health crises—to nearly $115 million.
The awards are being made through HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as part of the ongoing Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), according to an announcement.
Meanwhile HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) is awarding around $15 million to 30 recipients who will each receive $500,000 over three years to reduce the impact of opioids on babies born to addicted mothers.
HHS Secretary Alex Azar credits the Trump Administration for the stepped-up efforts in rural areas hit hard by opioids. The COVID pandemic “hasn’t put a pause on our country’s opioid crisis,” Azar says.
Along with the announcement, HHS has posted lists of award recipients here and here.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.