Linn County, IA – The Linn County Board of Health approved the formation of a steering committee to address the public health crisis associated with opioid use disorder locally at their meeting last week. For the last two years, Linn County Public Health has been working with local, state, and federal partners to find solutions to lessen the impact of opioid addiction in Linn County.
“This epidemic is getting bigger and bigger nationally,” said Mark Taylor, chair of the Linn County Board of Health. “We need to be prepared here locally to address this crisis, and the steering committee will help us provide a plan to reduce opioid abuse.”
The steering committee plans to address four key areas:
- Prevent opioid abuse and addiction,
- Reduce the number of deaths associated with opioids,
- Expand access and decrease wait for treatment, and
- Improve the safety of our community.
“In 2016, there were dozens of deaths and hospitalizations in Linn County,” said Pramod Dwivedi, Health Director of Linn County Public Health. “And this fast-moving crisis will continue to worsen if we do not intervene now. We have more than 30 committed partners, who are willing to work together to control and prevent the epidemic here in Linn County.”
About Linn County Public Health:
Linn County Public Health, a department within Linn County government, serves nearly 220,000 residents of Linn County to prevent disease and injury, promote healthy living, protect the environment, and ensure public health preparedness. More information about Linn County Public Health is available online at http://www.linncounty.org/health or by calling 319-892-6000. Follow Linn County Public Health on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LCPublicHealth and on Twitter @LCPublicHealth.
