HSHS Holy Family honors International Overdose Awareness Day

Local communities in the Bond County area and others around the world are coming together to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose. 

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), observed annually on August 31, seeks to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. It is also an opportunity to educate people that overdose death is preventable and raise awareness about ways to help those struggling with substance abuse issues. 

HSHS Holy Family Hospital is partnering with Bond County Recovery Council in their second annual Overdose Awareness Event on Wednesday, Aug. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Courthouse lawn at 200 West College Avenue in Greenville. The event includes guest speakers and a remembrance of those lost to overdose. Bring a pair of shoes and/or a framed photo to place on the Courthouse steps to remember your loved one. There will be information booths as well as free BBQ, snacks and bottled water. This event will join residents of Bond County to a global movement for understanding, compassion, and change. 

Cindy Crouch, RN, emergency room nurse at Holy Family Hospital, shared, “We are honored to participate in this event and offer our support for those who have lost loved ones to substance abuse. It also offers a chance to provide education on programs in place to help those in crisis, such as the warm handoff program we have at Holy Family Hospital in partnership with the Gateway Foundation. With this program, we are able to double our efforts in getting our patients the critical resources and support at the bedside in real-time to get the help they need.” 

The substance abuse, treatment and recovery program in conjunction with Gateway Foundation is available to patients in the emergency department as well as throughout the hospital. The program focuses on warm handoff services for the treatment and recovery of patients who present with substance use disorder. A team of experienced individuals work to identify, screen and transition patients from the emergency department or inpatient unit directly into treatment either on an inpatient or outpatient basis depending upon need. The program’s focus is to intercept those in crisis and shepherd them to care. 

For more information about the Bond County Overdose Awareness Event, visit the Bond County Recovery Council Facebook page, facebook.com/BondCountyRecoveryCouncil.