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Burke County opioid-response team reports reduced ED overdoses, expanded BEAR team and program outcomes
Summary
County opioid-response staff told the advisory group the BEAR team is fully staffed and operating 24/7, ED overdose visits have declined, and settlement funds (about $25 million total) have supported treatment, naloxone distribution and recovery services; leaders discussed bringing recovery court in-house and pursuing grants to sustain programs.
Burke County opioid-response staff gave the advisory group a comprehensive update on programs funded by the county's opioid settlement, reporting declines in emergency-department overdose visits, expanded outreach services and plans to move some programs to county management.
Katie, who led the presentation for the county opioid-response team, said the team has grown to nine staff and the BEAR (post-overdose response) team is fully staffed and operating 24/7. "We have naloxone in every school now," Katie said, and described BEAR's work on naloxone distribution, field inductions and coordinated non-emergency response with dispatch to connect high utilizers to treatment.
The advisory presentation included the county's interim overdose statistics for 2025: 370 EMS calls for overdose, 25 certified overdose deaths and 28 death certificates still pending toxicology…
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