Southern Nevada groups strive to enhance health care access, tackle opioids

by grace da rocha (contact)

Friday, January 12, 2024 | 2am

Combatting the opioid epidemic and increasing health care access to at-risk communities are priorities for Southern Nevada health agencies in 2024, officials detailed this week.

“Just because we’re making sure these resources are available doesn’t mean people actually have access to them,” Immunize said during a discussion about the valley’s health needs at Alexander Library.・Ireti Fawehinmi, Nevada Community Health Operations Manager said: in North Las Vegas.

“Giving people the opportunity to make the informed decisions they need for themselves and their families is part of our key priorities this year,” she continued.

Discussions focused on regional health priorities, threats and projects for the new year. Among the participants were Katie Charleson of Nevada Health Link, Malinda Southard of the Office of Health Care Financing and Policy, and Fermin Reguen of the Southern Nevada Health District.

Access to resources, especially for low-income families and undocumented immigrants, dominated the conversation.

Fawehinmi delves into the mistrust that underserved communities may have toward the healthcare industry, and says Immunize Nevada employs a diverse staff that can connect with community members. He said that by doing so, the problem was partially resolved.

This has also made it easier to disseminate health information through regular pop-up clinics and other events, she added.

Charleson, communications manager for Nevada Health Link, added that many of these underserved communities are “heavily impacted” by other aspects such as Nevada's health care policy. Ta.

“Just in terms of access, the state is so diverse, rural areas are so different than urban areas. And we're so big that it's very difficult to make sure everyone has access. And , I think we're all working toward that.'' That's it,'' Charleson said.

Legan hopes the health district will continue to work with local organizations and expand its work in refugee communities, which he called “a very sensitive area here in Nevada.”

For example, Nevada Health Link recently launched a tribal sponsorship program. It will be rolled out across the state in the coming months to help rural and Native American communities. This program helps pay health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses for eligible tribal members who enroll in a Qualified Health Plan through Nevada Health Link.

The fight against opioids continues

Legan said “one of the biggest threats” to Nevada is the opioid epidemic, with synthetics such as fentanyl and xylazine (a sedative commonly used for large animals) causing an increase in deaths in recent days. He said that it is getting worse.

From 2018 to 2020, approximately 22 people per 100,000 residents died from drug or opioid-related overdoses in Clark County, officials said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 million people nationwide have died from drug overdoses since 1999, and about 645,000 of those deaths were due to opioid overdoses. And in 2021 alone, 75% of the 80,000 drug overdose deaths involved opioids, 10 times more than in 1999.

“The opioid epidemic is one of the biggest issues affecting our communities,” Regan said. “We lose hundreds of young people every year, and that number is increasing every year. That's really big, isn't it?”

Southern Nevada has taken steps to combat the epidemic, including establishing the Southern Nevada Opioid Advisory Council in 2016. The commission was formed to “develop systems-level responses through evidence-based strategies and unique community collaboration.”

Last year, Clark County also established a 15-member Regional Opioid Task Force as a result of Assembly Bill 132 passed during the 2023 legislative session.

Last April, the Biden administration designated “trunk” (a combination of fentanyl and xylazine) as an emerging threat to the United States, and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, urged lawmakers to pass the Anti-Illegal Xylazine Act. He urged that the drug be regulated. .

The bill, which criminalizes the illegal use of xylazine, was introduced in March last year. There has been no movement on this bill.