Latest news with #CherryHealth
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Fentanyl overdose deaths declining in Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — For years, fentanyl has maintained its position as the nation's single deadliest drug, stalking the streets of America. But there are signs of progress in the fight against fentanyl as deadly overdoses decline in Michigan and nationwide. According to the Kent County Medical Examiner's office, fentanyl killed 29 people in the first six months of 2024. A final tally for 2024 is not yet available because results of toxicology tests are still pending in some cases. Still, it appears there were significantly fewer fatalities in 2024 than in the drug's deadliest year, 2022, in which 89 people died from fentanyl in Kent County, according to the medical examiner's office. In 2023, deadly fentanyl overdoses in Kent County decreased to 62, and 2024 deaths could be even lower. The steady decline is likely due to harm reduction efforts, like the widespread distribution of naloxone, the overdose reversal drug. Cherry Health adds 2 new Narcan vending machines Fentanyl test strips are increasingly available too, allowing people to check their drugs for fentanyl before they ingest them. Stepped up enforcement and increased public awareness played roles as well. 'We do believe the message is getting out there about fentanyl,' said Derek Ress, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Grand Rapids office. 'We're also getting the word out with our One Pill Can Kill initiative. … The message we're getting out there to high schoolers: 'You've got something that looks like Xanax or oxy — potentially, it's fentanyl. If you've got something that looks like Adderall, it's potentially meth. You never know what's going to be in there.'' The state is reporting a decline in deadly fentanyl overdoses too, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: 2018: 1,505 deaths 2019: 1,428 deaths 2020: 1,876 deaths 2021: 2,263 deaths 2022: 2,208 deaths 2023: 2,168 deaths 2024: 680 deaths (only includes the first six months of the year) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In Grand Rapids, Sen. Slotkin says she wants to hear ‘real-life stories'
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin made stops in West Michigan Saturday, saying her goal was to meet with leaders and understand the needs of the community. 'I'm 33 or 34 days into being a U.S. senator, and I wanted to make the point of coming to West Michigan — you know, coming to Grand Rapids, we're going to Kalamazoo — just to ensure that everyone understands they have a new senator and I'm here to help,' Slotkin told News 8. In Grand Rapids, the senator — joined by Democratic U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids — visited Cherry Health, which Slotkin said largely depends on federal funding. To The Point: Reps Huizenga, Scholten on new era 'This is a facility that does about 470,000 visits a year, a good number of them behavioral health,' Slotkin said. 'You think about what happens to Grand Rapids and the community here if a place like this doesn't exist. I wanted to understand who they're serving, what it means to the community.' Amid sweeping changes from the second Trump administration, Slotkin told News 8 she had encountered a lot of uncertainty. 'I think whether you're in government or in nonprofit work or in business, predictability and stability is important. You got to understand the playing field in order to make decisions. And so there's just a lot of questions,' she said. 'People want to know: 'What are you hearing about the new budget? Are there going to be cuts to federal funding, and what kind? I have a contract with the government — is that still going to be good?' A lot of questions about what they can and cannot count on.' Republican-led House passes bills to keep tipped wage in Michigan She said she wanted to hear 'real-life stories.' 'It's just making sure they know how to get me, and then they can express their real concerns directly up the chain,' she said. 'Because the more I hear real-life stories of how things are impacted on the ground, whether it's tariffs, let's say — our business community had a lot to say about tariffs — I can take those real-world stories back to Washington when I go and fight for the things that Michigan needs.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
