BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
The latest progress report for Bradford County Fire Rescue’s Community Paramedicine Program included information on usage of the Narcan cabinets installed at various locations.
The cabinets contain doses of naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, that, when administered quickly, can reverse the effects of opioid overdose, restoring breathing and preventing death.
Often carried by first responders, Naloxone can now be obtained by individuals who might witness an overdose or be at risk themselves, thanks to the installation of these community cabinets in areas including Starke Fire Rescue, the Arc at Hampton’s Community Wellness Resource Hub, and Answers Health and Resource Facility on West Weldon Street in Starke. A fourth has been added at the Meridian Behavioral Healthcare office on Grand Street.
Of the four, Lt. David Weeks said the Answers site has been most active, with nearly 20 doses distributed as of last week. There is interest in additional cabinet installations around the county.
Weeks said the paramedicine program is extremely excited to have been selected by the University of Florida as an internship site for seniors enrolled in the Health Education and Behavior Program. The 40 hour per week internship will give students real world experience.
“Our goal is to use them to identify community health needs, and from there, they’ll do a final project. So, I think this will be good for our organization and theirs. Some of the focus areas are patient advocacy, community health needs, public health education and then coordinating some of those relationships with our partner agencies,” Weeks said.
The first interns should begin within a few weeks.
Weeks reported Meridian has used opioid abatement funds assigned by the county to hire a counselor to be based in the local office. He said a primary goal is to create an Overdose Response Team made up of that counselor, a member of the paramedicine program and a licensed mental health counselor. They would be assigned to respond within 12 hours of an initial overdose to meet and assess those patients, and then follow up.
Once Meridian has a medication assisted treatment program in place to help substance abusers from relapsing, Weeks said the paramedicine program wants to enhance it with a mobile component.
“There are a number of patients that may have difficulty with transportation needs,” he said.
It can also be difficult to get an appointment because of the waiting list, he said, discussing a patient in Bradford in need of medically assisted treatment. In the interim, they were able to work with partners in Gainesville’s Community Paramedicine Program, meeting up at the county line so the patient could receive those services.
“That’s just one of the many examples of how the partnerships between the counties are starting to come together and really work in the patient’s favor,” Weeks said.
Speaking of mobility, the conversion of the library bookmobile into a mobile health clinic to assist with counseling and the distribution of medication is nearly complete. In addition to the staff assigned to the unit, it is equipped with telehealth access.
The program also has a medication intake component and has received 200 additional units of Deterra, a drug deactivation and disposal system, through the Bradford Prevention Coalition. They will be partnering with sheriff’s office for a community drug intake day.
Fire Chief Ben Carter commended Weeks for his work on the program.
“What he’s done with this program has been remarkable, and the partnerships that he’s built are starting to stand out, with many different community organizations in different counties and cities as well. So, I’m very proud of the work that he’s done, and this program is something that I’m very proud of and I hope that you all are as well.
In other business:
—the county commission accepted a bid of $58,000 for the commercial shop building located at 18853 Charlotte Ave. in Brooker. Hamilton Custom Services LLC of Gainesville was the highest of at bidders after a year listed on GovDeals, which charged a 12% fee for listing the property.
—Clerk of Courts Denny Thompson suggested setting workshops on the county’s capital improvement plan and budget following the commission’s monthly morning meetings. There was a consensus those workshops should begin in January.
