Avera partners with Emily’s Hope to offer free naloxone
Avera Behavioral Health Urgent Care, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center Emergency Department
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Avera is partnering with Emily’s Hope to make free naloxone, also known as Narcan, available at numerous Avera sites across South Dakota.
Emily’s Hope, a Sioux Falls–based nonprofit working to remove the stigma of substance use and addiction, is providing free naloxone kits and will keep distribution boxes at the Avera locations restocked.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Emily’s Hope to make naloxone more widely available across the Avera footprint,” said Mara Hermiston, DO, chief medical officer for Avera Medical Group. “We’re committed to helping people at every stage of their recovery journey, and this partnership expands access to a critical tool that saves lives.”
Naloxone, a nasal spray, reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. While it can be lifesaving for someone who is overdosing, it won’t hurt someone if they aren’t truly overdosing.
Founded by journalist Angela Kennecke after losing her daughter Emily to fentanyl poisoning, Emily’s Hope works to remove the stigma of substance use disorder through awareness, education, prevention and treatment support.