$1 million grant awarded to address opioid and substance use disorders in Tillamook County

$1 million grant awarded to address opioid and substance use disorders in Tillamook County

August 13, 2020 (Tillamook, OR) – Northwest Medical Foundation of Tillamook, known locally with the business name of Adventist Health Tillamook, has been awarded a $1 million rural communities opioid response program-implementation (RCORP-I) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This award will support work over the next three years to address substance use disorder in Tillamook County and implement key strategies identified by the RCORP Tillamook consortium and planning workgroup.

An RCORP planning grant last year set up a local consortium that created a comprehensive, sustainable community plan to address gaps and opportunities in Tillamook County’s access to services for addictions treatment and recovery. Consortium partners in this planning included: Adventist Health Tillamook, CARE Inc, Nehalem Bay Health Center and Pharmacy, Tillamook County Community Health Centers, Tillamook Family Counseling Center, and Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office. Oregon State University’s local extension office and the Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization were also involved in this planning process.

“Thank you again to the RCORP Tillamook workgroup for their thoughtful and difficult work over the last year to create a sustainable plan to address Tillamook County’s pressing need for access to treatment and recovery for people with addictions,” said Erin Skaar, executive director of CARE, Inc., and Adventist Health Tillamook Community Board member. “Thank you also to individuals from around Tillamook County who gave input about their perspective and experience. It’s a hallmark of Tillamook County to come together to seek solutions to community needs, and receiving this award in a highly competitive grant review process speaks to the power of our community as we continue our important work to address opioid and substance use disorders.”

As a result of that planning work, copies of the needs assessment, as well as the strategic and workforce plans for Tillamook County opioid and substance use response have been made available to the public at www.adventisthealth.org/tillamook/about-us/community-benefit/rcorp-tillamook. The new funding will support implementation of strategies that meet needs identified through this work, such as:

• Developing countywide best practices for prescription guidelines to address pain, transitional plans for high-use community members, education and alternatives for pain management.
• Increasing knowledge on opioid basics and overdose prevention.
• Increasing the number of prevention, treatment and recovery providers implementing evidence-based practices in the county.

“Adventist Health Tillamook is honored to be the convener and fiscal agent for this important community-wide work to provide wholeness and hope for people with addictions in Tillamook County,” shared Eric Swanson, hospital president. “Many thanks again to all the RCORP community partners who are committed to continue working together over the next three years to expand treatment and recovery options for individuals experiencing substance use disorder and opioid use disorder.”

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This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,000,000 with a yet-to-be-determined amount and percentange funded by non-government sources(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

Adventist Health Tillamook is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing. Visit AdventistHealthTillamook.org.