City Wins $700,000 For Drug Overdose Fight
Opioid program has saved 15 lives in 2019; new funding will expand program.
Murphy, chair of the City-County Heroin, Opioid and Cocaine Task Force, appeared before the Common Council’s Public Safety & Health Committee to secure formal approval to accept a $734,899 grant from a national association to address overdoses.
The funds would support a pilot effort known as the Milwaukee Overdose Response Initiative (MORI) led by the Milwaukee Health Department (MHD). The effort, based out of the Station 31 of the Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) at 2400 S. 8th St. in the city’s Lincoln Village neighborhood, is focused on engaging all overdose survivors with treatment and recovery services to reduce fatalities, increase access to treatment and decrease emergency services usage.
Prior to the pilot, Murphy said individuals were given a postcard-size note with a phone number on it. “We felt that was inadequate,” said the council’s opioid crisis expert, noting that individuals would get an expensive treatment of naloxone (Narcan) to reverse an overdose and sometimes just walk out of the ambulance.
Murphy and Ald. Jose G. Perez sponsored a $100,000 budget amendment in the 2019 budget to get the pilot started. The program is modeled after a similar effort in Cincinnati, Ohio.
MFD Captain Michael Wright said the effort has saved more than 15 lives in 2019. “I don’t want to get out over my skis right away, but we are making a difference, it is working,” said Wright.
“We have a number of individuals, quite honestly, they would probably be dead today if it wasn’t for the efforts of both the city and county, the fire department and health department,” said Murphy.
Wright said MFD is uniquely suited to host the pilot and convene the partners. “It isn’t working because we came up with some magical idea that started working right away,” said Wright. He said MFD is perceived as a neutral party, has access to important databases and has an existing community paramedic program. “We got people that are competitors to work side by side.”
Listed as subgrantees on the grant request in addition to the MFD, MHD, Medical College of Wisconsin and Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division are Staff One, Community Medical Services, WisHope, UW-Milwaukee, R1/ImageTrend, Share Training and Center for Gender and Justice.
“It’s really helping us expand and increase capacity beyond the grant as well,” said Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik.
The grant will come from the National Association of County and City Health Officials. The funds run through July 31st, 2020.
“You made our city proud,” said Ald. Mark Borkowski of Wright. He lamented that the media often latches onto things that go wrong, instead of many city employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. “I just want to thank everyone involved.”
One of those unsung heroes is MHD public health analyst Courtney Geiger. Murphy singled her out for her work in writing the grant application.
“This is a great day. This is something we should be bragging about,” said Perez of the pilot’s success. He said he looked forward to it going city wide.
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Related Legislation: File 191242
More about the Opioid Crisis
- Baldwin Backed Legislation to Crack Down on Fentanyl Traffickers Heads to President’s Desk - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Apr 24th, 2024
- Legislature Stalls Opioid Settlement Funds. Again - Erik Gunn - Apr 23rd, 2024
- Milwaukee Bucks Legend Marques Johnson Joins Forces with Serenity Inns to Combat Opioid Epidemic in Milwaukee - Serenity Inns - Apr 23rd, 2024
- Law Enforcement Agencies Awarded Grants from State Opioid Settlement Funds - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Apr 18th, 2024
- MKE County: County Wins Award for Opioid Settlement Fund Usage - Graham Kilmer - Apr 4th, 2024
- MKE County: County Offering $2.8 Million For Opioid Addiction Programs - Graham Kilmer - Mar 28th, 2024
- Senator Baldwin Calls on House to Pass Bill that Cracks Down on Fentanyl Traffickers - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Feb 15th, 2024
- Attorney General Josh Kaul announces $350 million settlement with marketing firm over its role in opioid epidemic - Wisconsin Department of Justice - Feb 1st, 2024
- Grants Will Fund Recovery Housing For Those Facing Homelessness and Battling Opioids - Margaret Faust - Jan 12th, 2024
- Baldwin Helps Advance Bipartisan Bill to Address Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Dec 14th, 2023
Read more about Opioid Crisis here
Political Contributions Tracker
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- December 13, 2018 - José G. Pérez received $50 from Mark Borkowski
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