Saint Joseph London Foundation Receives $50,000 Grant to Participate in New Emergency Room Program Targeting Opioids

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LONDON, Ky. (Nov. 27, 2023) – Saint Joseph London has received a $50,000 grant from the Kentucky Statewide Opioid Stewardship Program (KY SOS) to participate in its Emergency Department (ED) Bridge Program, helping to establish a new position within the hospital to address this growing concern. The initiative aims to make opioid use disorder treatment available at all times.

The ED Bridge program launched in January 2023 in collaboration with the Kentucky Hospital Association. The initiative is an expansion of the existing KY SOS program, which focuses on inpatient and outpatient opioid stewardship with primary care providers. This new program helps emergency departments further improve current opioid efforts, helping make opioid use disorder treatment accessible on a 24/7 basis. Saint Joseph London will be among the first 13 hospitals in the Commonwealth to participate in this program.

In addition to financial resources, which will establish a new position within the Saint Joseph London Emergency Department, KY SOS will provide the hospital with education on opioid stewardship best practices, support and coordination on the program with the Kentucky Hospital Association, and access to clinical advisors and subject matter experts to guide the program toward sustainability. 

“Opioid use disorder is a critical issue in our state, and we are proud to help combat this epidemic in our community,” said John Yanes, president, Saint Joseph London. “Participating in the Emergency Department Bridge Program supports our goal to provide more people with access to quality care closer to home. We are grateful to the Kentucky Statewide Opioid Stewardship Program for providing this generous grant to the Saint Joseph London Foundation and helping our hospital join this mission.”

According to the Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center, 2,135 Kentuckians died from a drug overdose in 2022. KY SOS was launched in 2018 as part of the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort, which seeks to expand and sustain a comprehensive, equitable, recovery-oriented system of care to end the opioid epidemic that has reached every community in Kentucky.

To learn more about KY SOS, visit www.kentuckysos.com.

About CHI Saint Joseph Health

CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of CommonSpirit Health, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 100 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes, home health agencies and an ambulatory Care Center. The hospitals in CHI Saint Joseph Health are Flaget Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Berea, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph Jessamine, Saint Joseph London, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling, and Women’s Hospital at Saint Joseph East. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to providing a wide array of services toward a goal of building a healthier future for all. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves.

About Saint Joseph London

Saint Joseph London is a 150-bed full-service hospital located in London, Kentucky. Established in 1926, the facility serves patients from southeastern Kentucky, including those from Clay, Laurel, Jackson, Whitley, Knox and Pulaski counties. The current $152 million regional hospital opened in 2010, and offers all private patient rooms, with most overlooking a small lake and garden on the 52-acre healing environment. 

About Saint Joseph London Foundation

Saint Joseph London Foundation supports CHI Saint Joseph Health’s drive for excellence by inspiring donors to make a tangible difference through their philanthropic investment in outstanding patient care facilities and services, the education of caregivers, advanced clinical research and improved access to quality medical care.

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