Boston Herald

Dimock Center grapples with opioid epidemic

- By JORDAN FRIAS The Dimock Center is hosting a 5K run and 2-mile walk Sept. 10 to help raise awareness and funds. To join, go to roadtowell­ness5k.com.

The Dimock Community Health Center’s staff are preparing to house a thousand more detox beds in the coming year to deal with the opioid-epidemic issue head-on, according to president and CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan.

Minter-Jordan said on Boston Herald Radio’s “NewsFeed” show yesterday that the Dimock Center now treats 3,000 inpatient detox clients per year and has recently undergone renovation­s to expand and meet increasing demands.

“We’ll move to over 4,000 clients per year,” Minter-Jordan said. “With the focus that we have on this disease and on this issue, I think we’ll get there, but we’re not quite there at the peak. … Part of the response was due to the fact that we had so many deaths each day happening in Massachuse­tts — over four people dying every day from overdoses — and when that hits, now we’re responding, so I think we’re going to see that number continue to climb, and I’m hopeful we’ll hit that peak, and then we’ll see all of the programs and services now coming online really bring that number down.”

The prevalence of the powerful and potential deadly painkiller fentanyl is also on the radar of those working in the Dimock Community Health Center, who have received training on the drug and the effect it can have on their clients.

“What we are finding is that the drugs that are now on the street are cut with fentanyl and it is so more potent and people don’t know that; one hit and you can die from it,” Minter-Jordan said. “It is a serious issue that we’re working hard, not only to educate our staff, but our community.”

 ?? STAFF PHOTO BY FAITH NINIVAGGI ?? ON THE FRONT LINES: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan of the Dimock Center says her staff is adding 1,000 detox beds.
STAFF PHOTO BY FAITH NINIVAGGI ON THE FRONT LINES: Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan of the Dimock Center says her staff is adding 1,000 detox beds.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States