KINGSTON – A spike in opioid overdose deaths in 2016 drove down Ulster County’s health outcomes rating for the 2014-2016 period. That ranking of 15th in last year’s University of Wisconsin study fell to 28th in the new finding and County Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith said 43 opioid deaths in 2016 skewed the rating. The county is taking aim at the drug overdose epidemic, she said.
“We have had the Ulster Prevention Council working on it,” Smith said. “We have hired a family advocate to help those struggling with addiction to help them navigate the insurance system. We have been doing Narcan training and distribution. We are basically in the process of pulling together, trying to reduce the supply and demand with the educational piece with our advocacy in schools to help the schools deal with their issue of opioid abuse.”
Ulster’s health factors improved in this new report going from 19th to 16th in the state.
Brewster students excel in Olympics of Visual Arts
May 18, 2024
