Oct. 9, 2023 4:15p
(WGTD)---As the number of overdose deaths in Kenosha County reaches record levels, a new team of health professionals whose mission it is to fight the epidemic believes it’s making a difference.
Members of the Kenosha Overdose Response Initiative, or KORI for short, have responded to 57 cases since its inception in February of this year.
Two paramedics, a Kenosha County Health Department nurse and a peer support specialist have knocked on the doors of people who’ve survived drug overdoses, or the family members of those who didn’t.
Liane Blanck of the health department says the overall response has been positive. "We've had people that have gotten into treatment right away which is really exciting," Blanck said. "We've had people that are like, 'Hey, I just made a mistake. This was a one-time thing. I'm not going to do it again.' And they just want to make sure they have Narcan on hand or their family members have it. We've trained people on Narcan on their front porch," she said.
The project is being funded with a federal grant.
The service is patterned after a successful initiative that was launched in the Milwaukee area several years ago.
Blank says the team goes out twice a week, and tries to respond to all cases within 72 hours.
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