River Valley Medical Wellness Announces Availability of Life-Saving Narcan for Pope County, AR Communities
RUSSELLVILLE, AR (January 20, 2023) – River Valley Medical Wellness announced that they have been awarded a grant to distribute life-saving Naloxone (NARCAN®) to residents of Pope County, Arkansas.
The funding, which comes from the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP), will allow River Valley Medical Wellness to distribute five hundred free doses of naloxone (NARCAN®) to community members in Pope County.
“Although opioid prescription rates have declined in recent years, we continue to see a rise in illicit opioid use and tragic opioid deaths in our area,” said Dr. Kristin Martin, Chief Executive Officer and owner of River Valley Medical Wellness. “We are committed to addressing this crisis head-on, and providing life-saving naloxone to members of our community will contribute greatly to that effort.”
Pope County Judge Ben Cross, co-sponsor of the grant, stated “I am thrilled Pope County was one of the first grant awards under this program in the State. It was rewarding to see Dr. Martin and River Valley Medical Wellness initiate this vital commitment to our citizens and the lives it will ultimately touch.”
On January 19th, 2023, the Pope County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Russellville Police Department, Arkansas State Police and the 5th Judicial Drug Task Force, has released the following information: “Recently, the Russellville Police Department conducted a traffic stop within the city limits of Russellville. Circumstances of the traffic stop lead to an investigation by all agencies involved. This investigation culminated in the seizure of 4.5 pounds or approximately 19,500 pills, of Fentanyl with a street value of more than $585,000.00. Agents believed at the time of the seizure there was no intent to traffic this drug to other
states, but that it would be sold locally in the Pope County area.”
Individuals who are at risk of overdose, family members of persons at risk of overdose, or any community members that want to carry naloxone (NARCAN®) to save someone from overdose are eligible to receive doses for free through this grant.
ABOUT RIVER VALLEY MEDICAL WELLNESS
River Valley Medical Wellness provides primary care, addiction medicine, and mental health services at their clinic at 2600 West Main Street in Russellville, AR. Led by Dr. Kristin Martin, River Valley Medical Wellness has a team of nurse practitioners, licensed mental health providers, and certified Peer Recovery Support Specialists. Dr Martin is recognized for her expertise in Addiction Medicine and was recently appointed to the Federation of State Medical Boards National Workgroup on Opioids and Addiction Treatment to serve with the CDC, SAMHSA, AMA and others to develop national policy recommendations for addiction care.
Learn more at: www.rvmwellness.com
