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
Jul 31 Health ARC Awards Grant To Help Pave Road To Addiction Recovery The Appalachian Regional Commission has awarded a major grant to what it calls an innovative pilot program for a region hit hard by the addiction crisis. The goal is to help people struggling with addiction get on the road to treatment, recovery, and – ultimately – employment. People with substance use disorders can have trouble […] By Aaron Payne Jul 31 Health ARC Awards Grant To Help Pave Road To Addiction Recovery Aaron Payne
Jul 17 Health New Data Show Opioid Deaths May Have Peaked, And Reveal Scale Of Past Pain Pill Sales Two newly released sets of government data show that the death toll from the nation’s opioid crisis may finally be dropping and also reveal the scale of the pain pill sales that help set the crisis in motion. The data for the Ohio Valley show how hard the region was hit and how hard people […] By Aaron Payne Jul 17 Health New Data Show Opioid Deaths May Have Peaked, And Reveal Scale Of Past Pain Pill Sales Aaron Payne
Jul 12 Health New Prescription: Ohio Valley Native Dr. Patrice Harris Is First Black Woman To Lead AMA Dr. Patrice Harris took the oath in June to become the first African-American woman to serve as president of the powerful American Medical Association, the largest professional association for physicians in the United States. Harris also brings another unique perspective to the job as someone who grew up in rural Appalachia. “I was born and […] By Aaron Payne Jul 12 Health New Prescription: Ohio Valley Native Dr. Patrice Harris Is First Black Woman To Lead AMA Aaron Payne
Jun 21 Health “They Are Invisible.” Rural Homelessness, Made Worse By Opioid Crisis, Presents Special Challenges Charles “Country” Bowers takes long, quick strides down a worn dirt path and is soon in front of a thicket of bushes made deep and tall by spring rains. He’s leading me on a tour of camps made by homeless people in wooded corners of Fayette County, Kentucky. He stops and lifts a hand to […] By Mary Meehan Jun 21 Health “They Are Invisible.” Rural Homelessness, Made Worse By Opioid Crisis, Presents Special Challenges Mary Meehan
May 24 Health U.S.-China Official Says Countries Continue Work To Limit Flow Of Fentanyl Officials in the Ohio Valley say recent increases in overdose deaths are largely due to fentanyl, and experts believe most of the powerful synthetic opioid comes from Chinese manufacturers. The Chinese government announced last month it would classify all chemical variations of fentanyl as controlled substances. This closes a loophole that allowed some manufacturers to […] By Aaron Payne May 24 Health U.S.-China Official Says Countries Continue Work To Limit Flow Of Fentanyl Aaron Payne
May 24 Economy Working Toward Recovery: Ohio Town Fights Addiction With Focus On Economy This is the second story in an occasional series exploring the links between addiction recovery and a recovering economy. Addiction specialists, business leaders, law enforcement officials and other community members gathered around tables at Shawnee State University to talk about two big challenges in Scioto County, Ohio: a shrinking economy and a growing addiction crisis. […] By Aaron Payne May 24 Economy Working Toward Recovery: Ohio Town Fights Addiction With Focus On Economy Aaron Payne
May 23 Health Investigation Finds Ohio Valley Hit Hard By Fentanyl As Locals Asked For More Federal Help A Washington Post investigation finds the Ohio Valley is suffering the most from the surge in overdose deaths due to synthetic opioids, even as deaths from other substances are falling. The Post analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and found the region has the nation’s highest rates of death due to fentanyl. Kentucky, […] By Aaron Payne May 23 Health Investigation Finds Ohio Valley Hit Hard By Fentanyl As Locals Asked For More Federal Help Aaron Payne
May 17 Agriculture A Growing Recovery: Food Service And Farming Jobs Provide A Path Out Of Addiction This is the first story in an occasional series exploring the links between addiction recovery and a recovering economy. It’s lunch hour, and Cafe Appalachia is bustling. Located in South Charleston, West Virginia, the former church turned restaurant has a funky, yet calming vibe. Twinkle lights and mismatched dining room sets dot the space. For […] By Brittany Patterson and Liam Niemeyer May 17 Agriculture A Growing Recovery: Food Service And Farming Jobs Provide A Path Out Of Addiction Brittany Patterson and Liam Niemeyer
Apr 25 Health Drug Company Gilead Gives $11M To Halt Hep C Rise In Ohio Valley Drug maker Gilead Sciences will give $11.3 million to help prevent and treat hepatitis C in Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. That money is part of a five-year project aimed at a region that’s been hit hard by the viral disease. About 43,000 people in Kentucky have hepatitis C, according to recent […] By Lisa Gillespie Apr 25 Health Drug Company Gilead Gives $11M To Halt Hep C Rise In Ohio Valley Lisa Gillespie