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Local officials are warning of a more dangerous mix of drugs circulating on Louisville streets, leading to more drug overdoses. Louisville Metro Police had to administer the drug Naloxone to reverse drug overdoses 43 times during the first 12 days of March compared to 26 times for the entire month of February and only seven times during January.
“This represents a 65 percent increase in March and the month is not yet half over. It’s important that the community, especially the families and friends of drug users, know this,” said Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad.
“While this information is still preliminary, because we don’t yet have toxicology results, through March 9, we have had 34 overdose deaths that appear to have been related to heroin use, as compared to 13 for the same period last year. This represents a 162 percent increase compared to last year,” said Conrad.
Jefferson County Coroner Dr. Barbara Weakley Jones pointed to a rise in the drugs fentanyl and gabapentin in the bloodstreams of people dying from drug overdoses. “It takes between four and six weeks for us to get blood lab results back so we don’t have confirmed results for February and March of this year,” said Dr. Jones. “However, in the last quarter of 2015 and in January of this year, we saw increasing numbers of overdose deaths in which we found fentanyl and gabapentin.”
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid first developed in 1959, similar to but more potent than morphine. Mixing fentanyl with street heroin markedly amplifies the potency and potential dangers. Effects include: euphoria, drowsiness/respiratory depression and arrest (death), nausea, confusion, constipation, sedation, unconsciousness, coma, and addiction.
Similarly, gabapentin, also known as by its brand name Neurontin, is a drug with legitimate uses, such as for the control of seizures. Like fentanyl, it can amplify the potency and lethality when mixed with street opioids.
“Heroin is dangerous. The potency is always changing,” said Dr. Sarah Moyer, interim director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. “Every time someone injects heroin they run the risk of overdosing and dying, Family members and friends of those using drugs should direct their loved ones to the Louisville Metro Syringe Exchange, where their loved ones can get safe injection supplies, access to the medical system, and referral to drug treatment.”
Russ Read of the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition said that his organization distributes free Naloxone kits and conducts free training on how to use them. Naloxone can reverse the effects of a drug overdose and prevent death. The free kits and training are available to the general public. The next training will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, March 15 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Department of Public Health and Wellness located at 400 E. Gray St.
Visit highlights governor’s commitment to support veterans; 4th veterans nursing home to open in 2016
Governor Steve Beshear today toured the Radcliff Veterans Center (RVC), which is nearing completion and will become the state’s fourth state veterans nursing home.
“This state-of-the-art facility is a huge accomplishment for Kentucky, and I am proud to have been able to secure matching funds for its construction,” said Gov. Beshear. “We remember the brave men and women who have served our country in the armed forces, and we ensure that they receive the very finest care when they need it.”
The new nursing home will be near the Louisville and Fort Knox areas. It is being built on the Community Living Center Model, which features four neighborhoods of three 10-bedroom homes each. The design provides 120 veterans with a private room and bath and family-style living room, dining room, kitchen and patio. A separate administration building will house recreation, therapy and other services. The center will employ about 170 staff.
“We have been working a long time to open this new veterans nursing home in the center of Kentucky’s largest concentration of veterans,” said Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs (KDVA) Commissioner Heather French Henry. “We are grateful for the steadfast support, assistance and patience from Gov. Beshear and the Commonwealth’s veteran community.”
“Having been raised in a military family, I understand and appreciate the sacrifices made by all the men and women who serve our country,” said Sen. Dennis Parrett, of Elizabethtown. “There is never enough that we can do to repay their service. However, the veterans’ nursing homes do serve a great purpose for these men and women at a time in their lives when they need us to help care for them. I am pleased that the Radcliff facility is nearing completion and thank the Governor for his support in this project.”
“I want to thank Gov. Beshear for coming here today to highlight the progress of the Radcliff Veterans Center, which will be an outstanding addition to our region once it’s up and running,” said state Rep. Jeff Greer, of Brandenburg. “This would not be possible without support from him, my fellow legislators and those of us in our community who fought so hard to have this state-of-the-art center built here. The veterans who will benefit from this and their families deserve no less.”
The funding of the Radcliff Veterans Nursing Home is but the latest in a seriesof actions taken by Gov. Beshear to support Kentucky’s approximately 331,000 veterans throughout his administration.
For example, Gov. Beshear, state and federal officials this year announced the launch of telemental health services out of the Joseph “Eddie” Ballard Western Kentucky Veterans Center in Hanson, part of an effort to expand mental health services to veterans in western Kentucky. In addition to the Radcliff facility under construction, KDVA operates three state veterans nursing homes.
Kentucky is also celebrating 2015 as the “Year of the Woman Veteran,” supported by a statewide conference, public outreach and the hiring of a women veterans coordinator. Gov. Beshear proclaimed March 30, 2015, as Vietnam Veterans’ Day in Kentucky, as part of Kentucky’s partnership in the 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration. A July public exhibit of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute wall at the Kentucky Horse Park was sponsored by KDVA, through a grant from the Kentucky Veterans Program Trust Fund.
In September 2014, veterans, family and friends commemorated that anniversary in a ceremony at the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Frankfort.
Kentucky now has an “I Support Veterans” license plate, gives veterans preference for hiring in state government and placed a plaque in the Capitol Rotunda to honor Medal of Honor recipients from the Commonwealth. KDVA has partnered with the Transportation Cabinet to establish “VetConnect,” a vital service that helps veterans get to medical appointments. And the Kentucky Veterans Program Trust Fund Board funded a veteran entrepreneurship program at the University of Louisvlle.
KDVA also co-sponsored veteran job fairs with the “Hiring our Heroes” U.S. Chamber of Commerce campaign. The state veterans agency also recently partnered with the federal VA to establish a seamless, electronic claims system that expedites the benefits claims process.
When the Radcliff Veterans Center opens, Kentucky will have four state veterans nursing homes. Thomson-Hood Veterans Center opened in Wilmore in 1991, and the Paul Patton Eastern Kentucky Veterans Center in Hazard and the Joseph “Eddie” Ballard Western Kentucky Veterans Center in Hanson both opened in 2002.
A ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony is being planned for the Radcliff facility this spring Admission applications will be accepted beginning February 2016. For more information visit: http://veterans.ky.gov/nursinghomes/Pages/default.aspx.
Panel implores community efforts to address ‘public health issue’
Governor Steve Beshear today called on lawmakers and Kentucky’s future leaders to adopt new recommendations for schools, public agencies and communities to stop youth bullying.
Alongside members of the Kentucky Youth Bullying Prevention Task Force, Gov. Beshear gave highlights of the group’s 29-page report, which gives four main recommendations to reduce youth bullying and to help foster safer, harassment-free school environments.
Among the panel’s recommendations:
- Adopt one statewide, formal definition of bullying.
- Adopt evidence-based standards within all school districts to promote a positive climate and culture.
- Support and invest in behavioral health counselors at the local school level as a preventive measure.
- Establish and fund a sustainable state-level agency or office that coordinates and supports community-driven efforts to promote bullying prevention and community programs.
“By studying bullying, and by recommending practices and policies to prevent and respond to it, the panel is empowering students, parents and school and community leaders to root out intimidation and harassment in our communities,” Gov. Beshear said. “I ask the lawmakers who served on this task force and their respective chambers to work with our next Governor, our school districts, community leaders and public health officials to implement these critical recommendations.”
The task force, a 26-member panel appointed by Gov. Beshear, has been meeting for the past year, hearing from safety experts and discussing potential strategies to address the problem of youth bullying.
Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Secretary Audrey Tayse Haynes, who co-chaired the panel with former Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Terry Holliday, said she is pleased that the task force was able to recommend a layer of prevention strategies.
“We understand that while there is no ‘magic solution’ to ending youth bullying, part of the solution is simply raising awareness,” she said. “Our panel heard many times that adults had no idea about certain bullying incidences until they reached a crisis stage. We need community leaders to keep speaking up about bullying prevention so that it is easier for others – especially young people – to talk about it.”
Holliday and Haynes wrote to Gov. Beshear last year and urged him to create the task force. Membership on the task force included legislators and school, youth, safety and community officials. The task force also included a middle-school student who experienced bullying when she was younger. Eleven-year-old Morgan Guess – and her mother – participated on the bullying prevention panel.
“It has been an honor for me to serve on this task force and I am grateful to Gov. Beshear for allowing me the opportunity to represent Kentucky students,” said Morgan Guess, of Paducah. “The last year has shown me that there are citizens all across Kentucky who are committed to changing the culture of bullying and given me hope for Kentucky’s future. This is an important start, but we have more to do. I am committed to doing my part. I am counting on your commitment as well. All Kentucky students are.”
Secretary Haynes said the task force learned that the best response to bullying is for communities to act before it occurs.
“Rather than implement measures that merely react to bullying, we have to focus on prevention efforts,” she said. “We need to establish safe and supportive school environments that empower youth to seek success.”
And, Haynes said, the report also emphasizes that bullying is not just a school problem.
“Bullying is not a problem to be addressed solely by school administrators, or even state social workers,” she said. “None of us can be bystanders in this effort. To really thrive, our youth need the right tools and influences to learn to react to disappointment and to have healthy relationships with others. That is going to take a commitment from us all.”
The panel established that bullying is a form of violence and can cause severe physical, social and emotional health problems. The group adapted a four-step approach suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to address public health issues.
A recent example of collaboration between KDE and CHFS is the School-Based Behavioral Screening Initiative, launched in early 2014.
The goal of this initiative is to help middle and high school personnel recognize when a student may be showing signs of a behavioral health need. Students may be briefly screened with a validated tool, and based on the identified need, referred for services, supports or further assessment, when appropriate.
“I’m glad we’re addressing this, because it is a major public health issue. It affects children and families alike, both mentally and physically,” said Rep. Rita Smart, of Richmond. “This report will give us the foundation we need to take the next step in this area, and I look forward to doing whatever else I can to help.”
“For too long, bullying was downplayed as an issue, but it has gotten much more attention in recent years as we gain a better understanding of its long-term impact on those victimized as well as those who are doing the bullying,” said Rep. Derrick Graham, off Frankfort. “If we do not take corrective action when they are young, we risk seeing fixable problems spiraling out of control. I think the findings in this report will give us better tools to take on this task in the years ahead.”
School districts that have implemented this initiative have reported the ability to better plan ahead to help students, to better identify when a student’s behavior might be a symptom of a greater problem, and to meet the needs of their students more responsively.
Learn more about the School-Based Behavioral Health Screening Initiative here.
As part of today’s announcement, Gov. Beshear proclaimed this week as Safe Schools Week in Kentucky, a designation that coincides with the release of the findings of the Kentucky Youth Bullying Prevention Task Force.
The Louisville Skyline now has an additional color to serve as an important reminder for women during this month. The Historic City Hall Clock Tower at Sixth and Jefferson is now showing pink as a reminder that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
“We, on the Metro Council, join with other groups to encourage women to get the screening necessary to ensure that we can fight this disease. We know early detection is one of the best ways to be successful in treatment of breast cancer,” said President David Tandy (D-4).
On Thursday, the President was joined by Metro Council Members, Council staff and representatives from the American Cancer Society and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center to encourage the women and men to get the appropriate screening during the month.
“We all know someone who has been touch by cancer,” said Tandy. “We have many resources and services available to prevent this disease and treatment to fight it here in Metro Louisville.”
Recent Facts about breast Cancer
- It’s estimated 128 cases per 100,000 folks in Jefferson County are dealing with breast cancer
- The leading cause of cancer deaths among African American women is breast cancer.
- The chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 1 in 36 (about 3%).
- Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1989, with larger decreases in women younger than 50.
“The American Cancer Society is very appreciative of our Metro Council’s support of the American Cancer Society and our community partners like James Graham Brown who want to see a community without breast cancer,” said Melinda Townsend – Breslin of the Louisville Chapter of the American Cancer Society. “One woman diagnosed in our community is one too many. To have an impact, we have to work together to get well, stay well, find a cure and fight back”
“I would like to thank President Tandy and the entire Louisville Metro Council for drawing attention to breast cancer,” said Donald Miller, MD, director of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center. “Awareness continues to be one of the best tools we have to battle cancer. Early diagnosis through annual mammography increases the options for treatment and the potential for successful outcomes.”
President Tandy also noted that the Metro Council chamber has been decorated with pink ribbons for all Council meetings in October to serve as a reminder that breast cancer screening is important and should be done annually.
To learn more go to:
President David Tandy (D-4) will hold a news conference on Thursday, October 8th to announce a special effort by the Metro Council to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month during the month of October.
The President will be joined by other Council Members and Representatives of the American Cancer Society and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center to encourage all women to get breast cancer screenings during this month.
President Tandy will also announce a special reminder to the public to get tested during the month of October.
The news conference will be held at 1:30pm in Jefferson Square Park at the corner of Sixth and Jefferson Streets.
The Metro Council’s Intergovernmental Affairs Committee will receive a progress report from the Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness on the syringe exchange program since it began on June 10th.
Members will hear from Dr. Sarah Moyer, Interim Director of the Department who will make a presentation about how the effort has been working and what is next for the program.
““When the Metro Council approved this program, we indicated we would ask for regular updates on its progress and effectiveness. It is important to understand if the program is reaching the people it needs to for treatment and public safety,” says Councilman David Yates (D-25), who chairs the Committee.
After approval by the Kentucky General Assembly this year, Louisville was the first city in Kentucky to move forward with such a program.
The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee will meet at 2:00pm in Council Chambers, 601 West Jefferson Street. All Council meetings are carried live on Metro TV, Time Warner Cable Channel 25 on Channel 99 for UVERSE subscribers.
You can also watch the meetings online by going to the Metro Council homepage and click the “Watch Meetings Online” button.
Funds will increase awareness, screenings among underserved populations
Governor Steve Beshear announced today Kentucky will receive approximately $2.6 million in federal grant funding over five years to improve screening rates and health outcomes related to colon cancer across the state, with a focus on underserved populations in Louisville and Appalachia.
“We know that colon cancer is highly preventable with screening, and that early detection is key to better outcomes,” Gov. Beshear said. “This is one reason that even as our state’s uninsured rate has dropped we have worked to maintain funding through the Department for Public Health for screenings for low income and uninsured Kentuckians. With the expansion of Medicaid and federally qualified health plans resulting in more people insured under the Affordable Care Act through kynect, this new funding will complement our current targeted efforts to increase important colon cancer screenings.”
The Department for Public Health (DPH) will receive $529,428 annually for five years from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of this new grant award. Kentucky will focus on improving screening rates and outcomes, both in terms of incidence and mortality rates, in two geographic regions that data show have large numbers of underserved, unscreened residents. Screening rates are lower among African Americans, males, those with lower incomes and those with lower education levels. Continue reading
