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A new RHTP-funded project is already demonstrating the impact of bringing practical, lifesaving resources directly to rural communities.
Just in Case Oregon launched on Sept. 1 with a simple goal: make naloxone easier to access, particularly for people living in rural and frontier areas where cost, distance, and stigma can create significant barriers.
The public’s early response to the program shows just how great that need is. In just 30 days:
- 1,603 naloxone orders were received from 34 Oregon counties.
- 1,061 packages containing 4,244 naloxone doses were mailed to community members.
- 1,260 doses of naloxone were distributed to rural and frontier communities – reaching 94 rural zip codes across 31 counties, including 7 frontier counties.
- Hundreds of additional packages were prepared for delivery and awaiting carrier handoff.
Community members have already shared how meaningful it is to access naloxone through a process that is simple, private and easy to navigate.
“Ordering was super easy. Happy to see such an intuitive process being deployed for lifesaving supplies,” one anonymous user explained.
Others described previously facing barriers related to cost or stigma and concerns about requesting naloxone through traditional healthcare settings.
Funded through an RHTP Immediate Impact Award, Just in Case Oregon is a collaborative effort of Tabor North, Alano Club of Portland, Comagine Health, OHA’s Behavioral Health Division, and others.
These early results reinforce why RHTP investments are needed. Rural and frontier communities often face greater barriers to accessing timely care and preventive resources. By investing in approaches designed to meet the unique needs of those communities, RHTP funding can help close longstanding gaps and reach people who might otherwise go without support.
Just in Case Oregon is an early example of what can happen when funding moves quickly into communities and organizations have the resources to turn an innovative idea into an accessible statewide service. The response has already exceeded initial expectations and, more importantly, thousands of naloxone doses are now in the hands of people in Oregon who may one day use them to save a life.
Learn more at Just in Case Oregon.
Disclaimer
This program newsletter is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $197,271,577.67 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
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