Escambia County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is celebrating a major milestone in its work to combat the opioid crisis and provide comprehensive care to individuals struggling with opioid addiction.
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In just under two years of operation, the Coordinated Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) program has successfully assisted its 200th patient. To date, the number of patients who have transitioned to long-term care stands at 210.
CORE is a state-funded addiction recovery program that expanded to Escambia County in late 2022, with the county accepting its first CORE patient in February 2023.
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The CORE program offers personalized support to individuals suffering from opioid use disorder. This program has a three-pronged approach focused on providing immediate medical care, counseling, and long-term recovery support to help patients through the recovery process.
"I'm incredibly proud of our CORE team for reaching this milestone and continuing to help so many individuals in our community who are struggling with opioid addiction," said Escambia County EMS Chief Chris Watts, who took over the job in August. "The opioid crisis is impacting our community and many others across the nation, but through this program, lives are truly being changed for the better in Escambia County."
The four-county region of Northwest Florida, particularly Escambia County, has been disproportionately impacted by fentanyl-related opioid overdose deaths. In August of 2023, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody sounded the alarm, saying the Pensacola Medical Examiner’s District was the deadliest district for opioid deaths per capita.
At the time, data from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) showed the Pensacola District (from Escambia to Walton) with reports of 42 deaths per 100,000 people, while the state average per capita opioid-related death rate is 21 per 100,000 residents.
Current data for 2024, with about a week and a half remaining, shows an almost 29% decline in the number of suspected opioid-related overdose deaths in Escambia County during the past year. EMS officials have reported 55 suspected opioid-related deaths thus far this year. That compares to 77 suspected opioid-related deaths reported in 2023.
However, the overall number of opioid-related non-fatal overdoses reflects a slight increase of about 4% over last year, up to 4,201 to date in 2024.
The increased availability of Narcan, a nasal spray designed to reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid overdose, is cited as one reason for the decline.
Also, the coordinated work of the CORE program is being credited. That includes Escambia County EMS, with its team of nurses and EMTs, and community partnerships with Community Health Northwest Florida and Lakeview Center.
“We believe in the power of community, and CORE is not just about emergency response, but also about providing long-term care and support,” said Joey Kerman, supervisor of the Escambia County EMS CORE program. “This milestone of 200 patients helped reflects the collective efforts of our EMS team, local partners, and the community as a whole.”
Patients in the CORE program have access to a number of community resources, including addiction counseling, mental health support, and recovery services, to give patients the tools and services they need to overcome addiction.
The Escambia County CORE program is a free, voluntary program that is available to any person in the county who is struggling with opioid use.
Information and assistance is available on the county's CORE webpage or by calling 850-477-4357.
