McConnell helps secure money to fight rural Kentucky opiod epidemic

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced Monday the Fletcher Group will get $3,333,333 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. The federal funding supports the Fletcher Group Rural Center of Excellence, to prevent and treat substance use disorders in rural Kentucky communities.

“Overdose deaths in Kentucky are still nearly double what they were just five years ago, and with fentanyl flooding across our southern border, the problem is far from over,” said Senator McConnell. “Through organizations like the Fletcher Group, Kentuckians are coming together to combat this tragedy and assist rural communities hit hardest by this crisis…”

“Senator McConnell understands the challenges they face, and we thank him for supporting the Rural Centers of Excellence,” said Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Fletcher Group, Ernie Fletcher. “The Fletcher Group looks forward to our continued partnership with the Kentucky Injury Prevention Research Center at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health to provide rural communities with training and assistance to build recovery ecosystems that support long-term recovery outcomes.”                                                                                                

As Senate Republican Leader, Senator McConnell has steered more than $650 million to Kentucky to fight substance abuse.