Mercy Health ER to receive grant for opioid treatment

YOUNGSTOWN — Thanks to new state funding, opioid addiction medication will be available in St. Elizabeth Hospital emergency rooms.

Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board committee members today reviewed a $250,000 State Opioid Response grant awarded to dispense buprenorphine – an opioid used in medication assisted treatment – on a singular basis in Mercy Health emergency departments.

The new program would also “immediately link” patients with recovery specialists and substance-abuse programs. The sooner treatment can begin, the more likely patients are to stick with it, said Dr. Chad Donley, regional medical director for Mercy Health emergency departments.

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