Sheridan County to consider MOU with hospital to direct opioid settlement funds to treatment programs

Sheridan County officials said they will bring a memorandum of understanding with the local hospital to the Dec. 17 meeting that would allow the hospital to administer a portion of the county’s opioid settlement funds for treatment programs.

Cameron, speaking during staff reports, said the county has received about $646,000 in settlement proceeds to date and anticipates more over the next decade. “We were at 646,000 something like that, that we've received, and it's possible we'll get more over the next 10 years,” the speaker said. The MOU as described does not include a fixed dollar amount in the text but the county is planning to average about $100,000 per year to the hospital for five years — roughly $500,000 total — leaving approximately $100,000–$120,000 available to the county for other uses.

Officials said the hospital would use the funds for opioid mitigation, including treatment programs. The speaker added there will be annual reporting requirements and that funds would be withheld if reporting or targets are not met. “If they don't meet the targets of what the federal side, the reporting side is in there, they will automatically lose the funds,” the speaker said.

County commissioners asked whether the arrangement included an ongoing annual review. The speaker confirmed it is an annual review cycle and that remaining funds were being retained to preserve flexibility for county needs. Commissioners raised the possibility that opportunities could arise elsewhere in the county that might require access to those reserved funds.

The MOU will be on the Dec. 17 agenda for formal consideration; staff presented the agreement as a referral for approval rather than a final action at this meeting. No vote or formal approval was taken at the staff meeting.