Naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses, is now available for free and anonymously to all residents at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora and Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, a news release from the Kane County Health Department announced on Friday.
The health department worked with the two hospitals to install the naloxone dispensers, the release said. They were designed to allow 24/7 access to the medication.
“By partnering with Rush Copley Medical Center and Advocate Sherman Hospital, we aim to make naloxone readily accessible to those who may encounter an overdose situation, whether it’s for themselves, a loved one, or a bystander,” Michael Isaacson, executive director of the Kane County Health Department, said in the release.
The dispensers for naxolone – also known by the brand name Narcan – can be found in the emergency departments at Rush Copley Medical Center at 2000 Ogden Ave. in Aurora, and at Advocate Sherman Hospital at 1425 N. Randall Road in Elgin, the release said.
The program is funded in part through a State Opioid Response Grant to the Illinois Department of Human Services from the federal government, according to the release.
There were 71 opiate-related deaths in Kane County during 2023, according to data from the health department obtained from the county’s yearly coroner report. This is down slightly from 2021 and 2022, which saw 78 deaths each.
From January 2023 to June 2024, there were a total of 337 opioid overdose emergency room visits among Kane County residents, the seventh highest number of cases out of all counties in the state, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
This initiative from the health department and area hospitals is one of a number of efforts in recent years in the county to address the opioid crisis.
In 2019, Advocate Sherman’s emergency room and satellite emergency care locations began enforcing stricter guidelines for prescribing opioid painkillers, in response to the opioid epidemic. According to a report from 2023, staff at the hospital began working with hospital nurse leaders to establish a Narcan Training Crew, who would provide training on using Narcan at community events.
Rush Copley also cited reducing opioid prescriptions and other strategies as one of its priorities going forward, based on its 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.
And Kane County runs an Opioid Task Force with partners ranging from the sheriff’s office and county government offices to area hospitals, school districts and community organizations.
In 2024, the county installed a Narcan vending machine in the sheriff’s office at 37W755 Route 38 in St. Charles. They also have a list of community organizations that provide free naloxone confidentially to people in the area.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
