McConnell Secures $2 Million to Combat Opioid Abuse in Kentucky

Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will distribute $2 million to three Kentucky organizations through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).

Through today’s distribution, St. Claire HealthCare in Morehead, Kentucky, will receive $1,000,000, Stepworks Recovery Centers in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, will receive $500,000, and Kentucky Rural Health Information Technology Network in Corbin, Kentucky, will receive $500,000. Senator McConnell sent a letter to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson on behalf of Stepworks Recovery Centers. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator McConnell also supports funding for the RCORP program during the appropriations process.

“The substance abuse crisis in Kentucky is large and growing, with opioid addiction playing a significant role in its expansion. The funding announced today will help several Kentucky addiction recovery centers fund programs that combat opioid addiction, helping individuals struggling with substance abuse return to healthy and productive lives. I’m proud to support the RCORP program in the Senate and am glad to see its resources go to impactful organizations in the Commonwealth,” said Senator McConnell.

“Stepworks is creating a mobile health project to provide vital health services in rural Kentucky. Senator Mitch McConnell’s partnership through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Grant will help us deliver effective mental health, primary care, and addiction recovery services to the Kentuckians who need it most,” said Joyce Johnson, APRN, Clinical Director of Outpatient Services for Stepworks Recovery Centers.

“Senator McConnell’s leadership and consistent advocacy for the rural communities of Eastern Kentucky continue to make a difference in the lives of the people St. Claire HealthCare has the opportunity to serve each and every day,” said Donald H. Lloyd, II, St. Claire HealthCare President/CEO. “St. Claire extends great gratitude to Senator McConnell and his passion to help those that are affected by substance abuse as it continues to grow into a critical issue.”

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