Media Mention: New initiative aims to bridge gap between emergency room and long-term treatment for opioid addiction

While opioid overdose deaths across Michigan have decreased in recent years, opioid use disorder — or opioid addiction — remains a significant public health challenge, with rural communities often facing added barriers to treatment. 

A new University of Michigan-led program aims to help rural communities improve access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder and create smoother transitions from emergency care to long-term support. 

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Rural Health Transformation Program has awarded the University of Michigan’s Overdose Prevention Engagement Network, known as OPEN, a $1.5 million, 14-month grant to launch the Rural Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Link Initiative. 

Read the full announcement on the U-M Medical School website