Intermountain is working to reduce opioid deaths, along with addressing the stigma and barriers that often prevent people from seeking help. This work aligns with the significant needs identified in our Community Health Needs Assessments as a key issue faced in our communities.
While opioid deaths continue to be a significant public health crisis with devastating impacts across the country, the efforts to reduce opioid misuse and overdose deaths are making a difference. Intermountain Health has implemented community-based strategies and collaborated with outside organizations and clinical teams.
“We know that health systems can play an important role in preventing opioid overdose deaths,” says Lisa Nichols, VP of Community Health at Intermountain Health. “The work we do toward community education campaigns, stigma reduction, naloxone distribution, and prescribing practice changes is crucial.”
Intermountain has a unique Opioid Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) program in Utah, collaborating with the organization Utah Naloxone, which provides naloxone kits used to educate and distribute in our communities. The program includes a speakers bureau of Intermountain caregivers in Utah and Idaho who volunteer to attend community events and provide training on how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, and how to use naloxone.
Through the OEND program, Intermountain set a record in 2024 for distribution of naloxone kits since the inception of the program in 2017, with 1,910 kits distributed at 56 events hosted in Utah and Idaho. The diversity and unique backgrounds of the OEND trainers—the kits are distributed in both English and Spanish—allows them to connect differently with different community members to breaks down barriers. These efforts are saving lives.
Quinn is one person whose life has been saved from an opioid overdose by naloxone. “Our son got a second chance to invest in his well-being, and we got a second chance at hope,” Quinn’s mother said. “None of that would have been possible without the brave compassionate people who administered naloxone to a stranger, our beloved son. They gave him another chance at life. How do parents even find the right words of gratitude for that?"
The growing success of this work is attributed to an increased public understanding and demand of naloxone, the expansion of our community collaborations, having more culturally diverse education, and engaging with the highest need populations. If your organization is interested in a group naloxone training through the OEND training program, please fill out this form. To learn more about Intermountain’s naloxone distribution in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada visit our naloxone on demand site.