Grants to help Oregon health centers fight opioid addiction

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $4.5 million in grant funding to 27 health centers in Oregon, nine in Oregon’s Second District and two in Central Oregon, to help fight the opioid epidemic.

Health centers in Boardman, Klamath Falls, Medford, La Pine, Prineville, Hood River, Grants Pass and Enterprise will receive a combined total of $1,503,000 in federal funds ($167,000 each), which Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said Friday will help combat the deadly opioid epidemic by enabling local health centers to increase availability of mental health and substance abuse disorder services, Walden said.”

The opioid crisis has hit every community across our great state and nation. Combating this deadly epidemic is no small task and requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” Walden said in a news release, which continues below:

“This money is just one important aspect of the fight. Combined with the initiatives in the SUPPORT for Patents and Communities Act — my bill that became law last year — other grant funding our state has received, the hard work of medical professionals and law enforcement working on the front lines of this crisis, and continued support from the Administration, we are moving closer to putting an end to this horrid crisis.”

“As Republican leader of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I will continue to work hard and lead the way on combating the opioid epidemic.”

Walden has been one of the nation’s leaders in combating the opioid crisis, working to pass historic legislation to combat the abuse of opioids and investigating bad actors who are enabling the crisis to spread.

Learn more about the specific grant funding Oregon received here.