BRUNSWICK – Access Health, a Brunswick-based community health coalition, has spent the last year convening a local partners to learn and share strategies on reducing opioid overdoses. Coordinated by the Northern New England-Practice Transformation Network, the project is known as the Community Opioid Overdose Response Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes – or COOR ECHO.  

The project consists of monthly meetings where expert faculty and local communities present learning topics and opioid overdose-related cases for discussion and brainstorming. The four objectives for the program are collecting timely, local data on drug/opioid overdose deaths, improving Opioid Use Disorder treatment capacity using rapid-access, low-barrier approaches, improving naloxone distribution, and creating linkages with the Substance Use Disorder community. 

Those working on the project locally include the Bath Police Department, Sagadahoc County Sherriff’s Office, Blue Water Emergency Partners, Sweetser and Mid Coast Hospital, which involves physicians and specialists from the Center for Community Health and Wellness, Addiction Resource Center, Emergency Department and Mid Coast Medical Group. 

 “This project has been so valuable. We have been able to recognize areas of improvement needed in our community – such as reducing stigma around Substance Use Disorder, increasing naloxone distribution points, and strengthening relationships with our recovery communities,” said Jen Kellerman, prevention specialist at Access Health and community convener for the project, in a news release. “It is incredibly beneficial to receive feedback from experts and other communities, and discuss how we’re going to work together locally to improve services.”