Latest news with #GaryHarmReduction
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Gary Harm Reduction suffers funding cuts, board member talks worries
When one local advocate thinks about changes coming to budgets of local nonprofits, he feels a mixture of sadness and anger. As federal funding changes roll in, organizations nationwide learn to continue offering services with fewer resources. Gary Harm Reduction is one of those. Executive Board Member Robert Bailey said the organization had about $500,000 in federal and state grants at the beginning of the year, but with changes, Gary Harm Reduction is seeing about $50,000 in funding. 'Some of it is like the government slashed (diversity, equity and inclusion) grants and (LGBTQ+) grants, and deliberately targeted that,' Bailey said. 'They've also targeted HIV grants because that's apparently not a priority.' Gary Harm Reduction is a local grassroots organization that was founded in 2020, according to its website. It provides the opioid antidote naloxone, known by its brand name Narcan, advocacy for substance users and people in recovery, and overdose prevention education. The organization is entirely volunteer and has distributed more than 5,000 Narcan kits, according to its website. Indiana's overdose death rate is 41 per 100,000 individuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lake County has the second-highest overdose rate in the state, according to Post-Tribune archives. 'The Trump administration and Gov. (Mike) Braun are targeting the most vulnerable people and hurting them,' Bailey said. 'I personally have lost many friends to opioid overdose. … I am not exaggerating when I say that these cuts will kill people. The U.S. Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes cuts for HIV care, treatments, programs, prevention and surveillance at the CDC, housing and other programs, according to the HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute. The cuts amount to more than $1.5 billion. 'While we appreciate the need to improve government efficiency and look forward to having those discussions, it is not efficient to decimate the nation's established and successful programs to prevent an infectious disease,' said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute, in a statement. 'This will only result in an increase in costly lifetime chronic illnesses and run completely contrary to what the administration has been promoting. We believe Congress understands the critical federal role in preventing infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis, and the serious implications and consequences to the health of our country if these programs are not adequately supported.' In January, President Donald Trump's organization also announced diversity, equity and inclusion cuts in an executive order, calling them 'radical and wasteful.' The cuts have led to billions of dollars in savings, according to the White House. Trump's federal budget also made various cuts to LGBTQ+ programs, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which could equal about $2.67 billion nationwide. 'This budget is more than cuts on a page — it's a direct attack on LGBTQ+ lives,' said Matthew Rose, senior public policy advocate, in a news release. 'Trump is taking away life-saving health care, support for LGBTQ-owned businesses, protections against hate crimes, and even housing help for people living with HIV. Stripping away more than $2 billion in support sends one clear message: we don't matter. But we've fought before, and we'll do it again — we're not going anywhere.' Since learning how drastic the changes will be, Bailey said Gary Harm Reduction has been 'in damage control mode.' The organization's executive director has talked about foregoing a salary to help make up for missed funding, Bailey said. Executive Director Kristen Martin was unavailable to comment Tuesday. Board members have sent messages to local organizations that might be able to help with funding, Bailey said. A major concern for Gary Harm Reduction is keeping its physical office at West Ridge Road near Calumet New Tech High School in Gary. Having a physical location is 'incredibly important' for Gary Harm Reduction, Bailey said. 'There's a relatively large unhoused population in that area,' he said. 'It's helpful to have that, especially with things like regional health care coming in and doing doctor's visits with people.' In addition to money, board members have also asked for donations of supplies needed, such as blankets or kits for those who receive services. The city of Gary installed a Narcan vending machine at the Adam Benjamin Jr. Metro Center on March 21 to help with Narcan distribution, which is a nasal spray that helps rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Gary representatives could not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday about whether the city's services will be affected by federal and state funding cuts. As Gary Harm Reduction looks to the future, Bailey can only hope that solutions are possible and people will help those struggling with drug use in the community. Bailey hopes that federal and state government officials will also see the importance of harm reduction programs. 'The problem with drug use is that it tends to fly under the radar,' Bailey said. 'We don't like to talk about it as a society. It's very stigmatized, so these people are going to be dying in silence, and people don't know this harm is happening. They need to know.'
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lake County unveils mobile clinic to help expand health outreach
For Lake County Health Officer Dr. Chandana Vavilala, the new mobile health clinic is a game changer to improve health outcomes across the county. 'We believe it's a major step to make the preventative services more accessible for Lake County residents,' Vavilala said at Friday's ribbon cutting for the mobile clinic. 'By taking our services directly to the neighborhoods, schools, as well as community centers and ensuring people get resources they need there. we can break barriers to care, support school health also preventative care close to home and provide health education to people of all ages. 'We strongly believe transportation and bus schedules should not prevent people from accessing health care. The clinic is (meant) to eliminate these barriers and bring essential services directly to every zip code and every area.' Attendees got to walk through the mobile clinic, which includes an exam room and a blood draw station. Vavilala said the mobile clinic cost around $250,000, which was paid for out of the $4.87 million in state funding the health department received as part of the Health First Indiana initiative, which was created in 2023 by the Indiana legislature. Vavilala said Lake County Health Department staff visited Plymouth and Porter County to see how their units work. Vavilala said now that the clinic is up and running the health department will post on social media where the clinic will be traveling as well as give residents the chance to request the mobile clinic to come to their communities. 'We will closely work with schools, closely work with the community center, medical providers, as well as the local organizations to ensure our clinic reaches those with the greatest need and the right services at each community,' Vavilala said. Former Gov. Eric Holcomb pitched Health First Indiana as a way to improve the overall health of Hoosiers, an area where the state consistently ranks among the worst in the nation. As of June 2024, the state rate of children under 3 years old receiving the recommended vaccine series is 59.1% and the Lake County rate is 43%, which ranks the county at 89 out of 92 counties. The state infant mortality rate is 6.8% the county rate is 7.26%, and the state adult obesity rate is 43.6% while the county rate is 44.7%, according to the scorecard. The state smoking rate during pregnancy is 6.6% while the county rate is 3.8%, and the state rate for smoking is 21% and the county rate is 18.6%. The state suicide rate is 15.77% while the county rate is 12.3%, according to the scorecard. Many of the department's community partners were present at the clinic's launch, including Purdue Extension Nutrition Service, Gary Harm Reduction, Tobacco Free — Lake County, Mental Health America, St. John Fire Department, and Franciscan Health's Prenatal Assistance Program. One of Health First Indiana's particular areas of focus has been improving infant and maternal mortality rates, particularly among Black women. A'onesty Cross and Jackie Carter are Community Health Prenatal Care Coordinators with Franciscan, with Cross focusing on the education component and Carter gathering and reporting the data to the state. Cross said the program ensures that pregnant moms have a doctor, insurance, and perinatal education, which focuses on safe and healthy habits and advocating for yourself. Once babies are born, the moms are educated on putting baby to sleep safely and car seat safety. They have access to a diaper pantry and a clinical therapist for moms, free of charge, she said. 'We make sure they have wraparound services,' Cross said. 'We want to see all babies reach their first birthday.' Carter works with the state's Fetal Infant Mortality Review Team, which implements ways to educate moms to avoid future infant deaths. Recently, she said they've seen an uptick in sleeping-related deaths, so Carter and the team have discussed with moms how important it is to put baby 'alone, on their back and in a crib,' Cross said. Lake County Commissioner Michael Repay, D-Hammond, said the mobile clinic is one way to provide health care 'wherever it is (needed).' 'I think there are identifiable metrics that we can see the positive results of the (Health First Indiana) investment,' Repay said. 'I think today we have more or less anecdotal positive events occurring from it, but I want evidence and I believe we'll get it. I think we're doing good work, it just needs to be measured and I hope that the state understands that and continues to support the programs in Lake County.' cnance@
Chicago Tribune
09-02-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County unveils mobile clinic to help expand health outreach
For Lake County Health Officer Dr. Chandana Vavilala, the new mobile health clinic is a game changer to improve health outcomes across the county. 'We believe it's a major step to make the preventative services more accessible for Lake County residents,' Vavilala said at Friday's ribbon cutting for the mobile clinic. 'By taking our services directly to the neighborhoods, schools, as well as community centers and ensuring people get resources they need there. we can break barriers to care, support school health also preventative care close to home and provide health education to people of all ages. 'We strongly believe transportation and bus schedules should not prevent people from accessing health care. The clinic is (meant) to eliminate these barriers and bring essential services directly to every zip code and every area.' Attendees got to walk through the mobile clinic, which includes an exam room and a blood draw station. Vavilala said the mobile clinic cost around $250,000, which was paid for out of the $4.87 million in state funding the health department received as part of the Health First Indiana initiative, which was created in 2023 by the Indiana legislature. Vavilala said Lake County Health Department staff visited Plymouth and Porter County to see how their units work. Vavilala said now that the clinic is up and running the health department will post on social media where the clinic will be traveling as well as give residents the chance to request the mobile clinic to come to their communities. 'We will closely work with schools, closely work with the community center, medical providers, as well as the local organizations to ensure our clinic reaches those with the greatest need and the right services at each community,' Vavilala said. Former Gov. Eric Holcomb pitched Health First Indiana as a way to improve the overall health of Hoosiers, an area where the state consistently ranks among the worst in the nation. As of June 2024, the state rate of children under 3 years old receiving the recommended vaccine series is 59.1% and the Lake County rate is 43%, which ranks the county at 89 out of 92 counties. The state infant mortality rate is 6.8% the county rate is 7.26%, and the state adult obesity rate is 43.6% while the county rate is 44.7%, according to the scorecard. The state smoking rate during pregnancy is 6.6% while the county rate is 3.8%, and the state rate for smoking is 21% and the county rate is 18.6%. The state suicide rate is 15.77% while the county rate is 12.3%, according to the scorecard. Many of the department's community partners were present at the clinic's launch, including Purdue Extension Nutrition Service, Gary Harm Reduction, Tobacco Free — Lake County, Mental Health America, St. John Fire Department, and Franciscan Health's Prenatal Assistance Program. One of Health First Indiana's particular areas of focus has been improving infant and maternal mortality rates, particularly among Black women. A'onesty Cross and Jackie Carter are Community Health Prenatal Care Coordinators with Franciscan, with Cross focusing on the education component and Carter gathering and reporting the data to the state. Cross said the program ensures that pregnant moms have a doctor, insurance, and perinatal education, which focuses on safe and healthy habits and advocating for yourself. Once babies are born, the moms are educated on putting baby to sleep safely and car seat safety. They have access to a diaper pantry and a clinical therapist for moms, free of charge, she said. 'We make sure they have wraparound services,' Cross said. 'We want to see all babies reach their first birthday.' Carter works with the state's Fetal Infant Mortality Review Team, which implements ways to educate moms to avoid future infant deaths. Recently, she said they've seen an uptick in sleeping-related deaths, so Carter and the team have discussed with moms how important it is to put baby 'alone, on their back and in a crib,' Cross said. Lake County Commissioner Michael Repay, D-Hammond, said the mobile clinic is one way to provide health care 'wherever it is (needed).' 'I think there are identifiable metrics that we can see the positive results of the (Health First Indiana) investment,' Repay said. 'I think today we have more or less anecdotal positive events occurring from it, but I want evidence and I believe we'll get it. I think we're doing good work, it just needs to be measured and I hope that the state understands that and continues to support the programs in Lake County.'
