The Warren County Health Department, the Warren County Memorial Library and local partners gathered on May 29th for a ribbon cutting ceremony to announce the placement of a Naloxone Vending Machine outside the library.

The newspaper box style vending machine is available 24 hours each day and includes an instructional video as well as risk reduction supplies such as Naloxone, fentanyl/xylazine testing strips, medication lockboxes, etc. Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is the opioid overdose reversal medication that has proven results saving the lives of individuals who have overdosed from opioid drugs.

Guest speakers were Dr. Margaret Brake, Health Director, Tanika Alston, Library Director and Chris Tucker, Emergency Services Director. Brittley Harris, Health Educator at the health department highlighted the supplies displayed in vending machine and described their use. Supporting partners participating in the ceremony included representatives from Warren County Government, Emergency Medical Services, Sheriff’s Office, Detention Center, Parks & Recreation, Trillium Health Resources, and Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition.

Alston in her remarks stated, “We are excited to be part of this initiative aimed at preventing overdose deaths and creating a healthier community for everyone.”

In addition, the Health Department also provides the ONEbox emergency overdose reversal kits containing two doses of the opioid reversal medication, Naloxone to local organizations, businesses, churches and county government offices. This will enable anyone in those places to administer naloxone quickly and safely to a person overdosing in an effort to save their life.

If your business, church or organization is interested in receiving the ONEbox, please call (252) 257-6017. Health Department staff also provide training on how to use the kit.

ABOUT ONEbox

Both the free vending machine supplies and the ONEbox are available to the community thanks to a grant partnership with Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition.

“We are pleased that our local partners support Naloxone Training and access for populations most at-risk for overdose.” We also recognize the importance of having access to the right tools at the right time to help in preventing an overdose,” said Dr. Brake. Awareness has never been more critical.” Chris Tucker noted that, “anyone is susceptible to overdose, not just those individuals’ experiencing addiction to drugs. Deaths from overdose are preventable through the timely administration of Naloxone/Narcan and appropriate response to overdose situations.”

Anyone interested in receiving FREE training on Overdose Prevention, Naloxone/Narcan administration and Hands-Only CPR can attend a 2-hour training on Tuesday, June 24th at the Warren County Emergency Services Building.

Please contact Chris Tucker (252) 257-1191 or Rhonda Mushaw (252) 257-6012 for more information and to register. Naloxone/Narcan will be available to those individuals who participate in the training.

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The Warren County Health Department, Warren County Memorial Library, and several local partners came together on May 29 to unveil a new public health initiative aimed at saving lives and promoting safety in the community.

The newspaper box-style vending machine at the library is stocked with FREE risk reduction supplies for public use, which include Naloxone (Narcan) – an opioid overdose reversal medication, Fentanyl/Xylazine testing strips, and medication lockboxes.

Watch this video to learn more about this countywide initiative to combat the opioid crisis.

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The Warren County Health Department and Warren County Government hosted a kick-off meeting on March 26th for the federal Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) Impact Grant. Staff from the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition (WCSPC) who are leading this regional effort came to Warren County to introduce the program to local partners and to get their input on how the program can best be implemented here.

WCSPC staff in attendance were Jeff Wilson, Executive Director; Pamela Letchworth, Yolanda Outlaw, and Cordain Dancy.

Local partners participating in the meeting included representatives from Freedom House Recovery Center, Trillium Health Resources, Warrenton Church of God, Warren County Schools, Emergency Services, Health Department, Administration/Finance Office, Sheriff’s Office/Detention Center, Auger Communications, and Hope Restorative Solutions.

The Warren County Health Department is a Network member in the Wilson County Substance Prevention Coalition’s NEW3 Impact – Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson, Warren, Wayne – Project. NEW3 Impact will improve access to integrated, coordinated treatment and recovery services for substance use disorders, including opioid use disorder, in rural areas of Eastern North Carolina. NEW3 Impact supports HRSA’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) – Impact. 

The five counties taking part in this grant represent a diversity of sectors, including primary care, pharmacy, public health, workforce, local government, faith-based, law enforcement, tribal, and substance use. Collectively, 77% of Network members reside within HRSA-designated rural areas. As Network members, we will:

• Provide services exclusively in the target rural service areas of Warren County, Wilson County, Bailey Township (Nash County), Mount Olive/Brogden Township (Wayne County), and eastern/southeastern Edgecombe County. 
• Commit to regularly engage and visit the target rural service areas to demonstrate strong connections with the communities. 
• Participate in regular Network meetings, which will take place at least quarterly. 
• Coordinate with other Network members on NEW3 Impact activities. In addition to committing to NEW3 Impact activities we are individually responsible for as outlined in the work plan, we will work with all members to:
  • Distribute OneBoxes to increase access to emergency treatment.
  •  Distribute fentanyl and xylazine testing strips to address emerging threats.
• Participate in the RCORP Data Sharing Group, led by Pamela Letchworth, and share aggregate data for performance reporting to HRSA. 
• Develop approaches to ensure continuity of operations to minimize the impact of potential service disruptions such as staffing changes, clinician turnover, public health emergencies, and severe weather.
• Work together to develop a sustainability plan to maintain services after the project ends. 

The duration of the NEW3 Impact Project is 4 years. The total award is $2,997,556 and Warren County Health Department is expected to receive $600,000 over the life of this grant.

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