TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa addiction recovery groups are joining together to fight opioid addiction. Healthcare Connection outreach director, Karen McGinnis, is making resource cards for overdose patients.
“We plan to give them to first responders who can hand them out at the overdose calls,” said McGinnis.
The program first started in Manatee County.
“Since they’ve passed out these 70-thousand cards, the overdoses and death rate has gone down significantly,” said McGinnis.
Groups like the Salvation Army will be listed on the card. Todd Quick is the Assistant Program Director for Adult Rehab. He said it’s important to hand overdose patients resource information right away.
“Typically right after an overdose someone is ready to make a change,” said Quick.
The groups hope to start handing out the cards this summer.
