Winnebago County Drug & Alcohol Coalition Awarded Grant Funds

For Immediate Release

DATE: June 20, 2017

CONTACT: Rebecca Normington, 715-221-9726,

                normington.rebecca@securityhealth.org

Winnebago County Drug & Alcohol Coalition awarded Security Health Plan Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Grant

MARSHFIELD — Security Health Plan is proud to announce the Winnebago County Drug & Alcohol Coalition as 1 of 10 recipients of its 2017 Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Grants. 

Funding may be used to develop new projects or programs, or to improve existing programs that will help prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. 

The Winnebago County Drug & Alcohol Coalition’s initiative will collect, compile and analyze local data to demonstrate opioid use in Winnebago County.  Data collected will be used to identify indicators that will allow us to track issues related to opioid use and will help to identify effective strategies to prevent opioid addiction.

“Few people ever intend to struggle with an opioid use disorder, but as many as 1 in 4 people who receive prescription opioids for long-term pain eventually do. We want to intervene,” said Sue Wilhelm, director of Security Health Plan Pharmacy Services.

“Our Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Grants are one way we can help our local communities,” said Jay Shrader, Marshfield Clinic Health System Vice President of Community Health and Wellness. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates opioid dependence costs the healthcare system $78.5 billion on an annual basis. Meanwhile, the state toll of opioid-related deaths rose to 622 in 2014, making opioid-related deaths a leading cause of injury deaths in Wisconsin.

The grants are part of a larger Marshfield Clinic Health System effort to fight the opioid epidemic and manage the rising cost of healthcare. Other synchronized efforts include changes to pharmacy management services and the installation of medication disposal kiosks. 

“An epidemic this serious will take the collaboration and cooperation of everyone in the community. We’re happy to do our part,” said Shrader.

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Learn more about the Winnebago County Drug & Alcohol Coaltion and substance use prevention efforts of the health department.