Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will distribute nearly $2 million to three organizations in Kentucky as part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). The funding aims to combat opioid abuse in the state.

Baptist Health Foundation in Corbin, Kentucky, is set to receive $750,000. Memorial Hospital Inc. in Manchester, Kentucky, will get $500,000, while WestCare Kentucky in Ashcamp, Kentucky, will receive $658,214 from this distribution. Senator McConnell had previously sent a letter of support for Baptist Health to Carole Johnson, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Senator McConnell has played a role in securing more than $700 million for drug abuse prevention in Kentucky through his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee. "The substance abuse epidemic has hollowed out communities across the nation, especially here in the Commonwealth," said Senator McConnell. "The funding announced today will help several Kentucky recovery centers fund programs that treat opioid addiction."

Gerard Colman, CEO of Baptist Health, expressed gratitude for the federal funding: “We are honored to be awarded federal funding that will allow us the opportunity to create new access points for mental health and addiction treatment and recovery services.”