Aug 16 Health HIV Infection “Clusters” Put Focus On Harm Reduction Programs Health officials in Huntington, West Virginia, say a cluster of HIV infections has grown to 71 confirmed cases. That’s in a city that usually sees about eight HIV infections in a year. As with an earlier such cluster in northern Kentucky, officials say the primary cause of infection is needle drug use. Health officials say […] By Mary Meehan Aug 16 Health HIV Infection “Clusters” Put Focus On Harm Reduction Programs Mary Meehan
Aug 17 Health Rural Risk: Mobile Clinics Help Tackle Multifaceted Opioid Crisis In a room at the Letcher County Health Department in Whitesburg, Kentucky, about 20 people are learning how to use naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication. Among them is 18-year-old Morgan Hopkins. An aspiring therapist, Hopkins said she wants to be ready with naloxone if someone overdoses around her. “You never know what you’re going […] By Aaron Payne Aug 17 Health Rural Risk: Mobile Clinics Help Tackle Multifaceted Opioid Crisis Aaron Payne
Apr 27 Health Regional Hep A Outbreak Linked To Ohio Valley Addiction Crisis A Hepatitis A outbreak growing in the Louisville area since last summer reached a new peak recently with a travel advisory from Indiana health officials. They told Hoosiers heading to Kentucky to get a Hep A vaccine. Soon, Kentucky’s Acting Commissioner for Public Health Dr. Jeffrey Howard was pushing back. “Let me say that it […] By Mary Meehan Apr 27 Health Regional Hep A Outbreak Linked To Ohio Valley Addiction Crisis Mary Meehan
Apr 10 Health Surgeon General Supports Needle Exchanges To Limit Disease From Opioid Crisis U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams threw his support behind syringe exchange services as an important tool to address the Ohio Valley’s high risk of needle-borne disease associated with the opioid epidemic. Adams visited Florence, in northern Kentucky, for an event to encourage more people to get trained to administer the overdose-reversal drug naloxone. Dressed in […] By Mary Meehan Apr 10 Health Surgeon General Supports Needle Exchanges To Limit Disease From Opioid Crisis Mary Meehan
Mar 30 Health Exchange of Ideas: How A Rural Kentucky County Overcame Fear To Adopt A Needle Exchange Greg Lee, Kentucky’s HIV/AIDS educator, starts the town hall on a somber note. “How many people in this room know someone who has died of an overdose death?” It is a standing-room only crowd. Most hands go up. “Amazing,” he says, sadly. The meeting is at the Bourbon County Public Health Department, just next to […] By Mary Meehan Mar 30 Health Exchange of Ideas: How A Rural Kentucky County Overcame Fear To Adopt A Needle Exchange Mary Meehan
Mar 2 Health Rural Risk: Fighting Disease Amid The Opioid Crisis Health officials in the Ohio Valley are investigating outbreaks of disease associated with needle drug use in what is emerging as a new public health threat from the region’s profound opioid addiction crisis. In northern Kentucky the health department is tracking a cluster of 43 recent HIV cases, about half of which are related to […] By Roxy Todd Mar 2 Health Rural Risk: Fighting Disease Amid The Opioid Crisis Roxy Todd
Jan 6 Health Leap Of Faith: Religious Communities Reconsider Needle Exchanges Sitting on top of the Bible on Pastor Brad Epperson’s desk at the Clay City First Church of God is a list of goals for his small congregation written in a looping cursive hand. “Our community ought to see the love of God in us, not just by our understanding of a compassionate Gospel, but […] By Mary Meehan Jan 6 Health Leap Of Faith: Religious Communities Reconsider Needle Exchanges Mary Meehan