Bronson Healthcare and Kellogg Community College Partner to Make Narcan More Accessible to the Community

The First Dispenser of Several Planned for Calhoun County

The partnership between Bronson Healthcare and Kellogg Community College (KCC), made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSEM), has resulted in the installation of a repurposed newspaper box on campus to dispense lifesaving Narcan. This initiative aims to address the opioid overdose crisis in Calhoun County by increasing access to this life-saving medication. 

The Kellogg Community College campus, located at 450 North Ave. is right around the corner from Bronson Battle Creek Hospital. The dispenser was placed in the Roll Health and Administration Building and is the first one to be installed in a college setting in Calhoun County. “We’re pleased to partner with Bronson to help make this happen; distributing Narcan is essential in addressing the potential risks of overdoses within our community and highlights the importance of access to life-saving resources,” says Dr. Paul Watson II, President of Kellogg Community College. 

Narcan, sometimes referred to as the generic name naloxone, is a life-saving drug that can be administered via nasal spray and quickly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, which often happens unintentionally. In 2022 alone, there was almost 3,000 opioid deaths in Michigan – and Calhoun County has the highest rate of nonfatal overdose emergency department visits in the state. “Bronson is proud to kick off this system-wide initiative and partner with organizations like KCC to help save lives and educate our community members,” says Joe du Lac, senior vice president & chief operating officer for Bronson Battle Creek Hospital. 

The Calhoun County Substance Abuse Council offers Narcan training to the community and will work with site coordinators to ensure the dispensers remain stocked with overdose prevention kits that include Narcan, gloves, masks for rescue breathing and resources available for substance use treatment and harm reduction in Calhoun County. 

Thanks to the CFSEM grant, Bronson was able to establish an Emergency Department Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (ED-MOUD) Program in its four emergency departments, where they prescribe opioid medication, buprenorphine, and distribute similar Narcan kits to eligible patients. Grand funds were also used to purchase 20 repurposed newspaper boxes to get live-saving Narcan out in the communities Bronson serves. Several more dispensers will be installed throughout Calhoun County, along with Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.

Pictured from L to R: Paul Bodenberg, RN, Bronson ED-MOUD program manager; Dr. Maureen McGlinchey Ford, MD, emergency physician, Bronson Methodist Hospital and Clinical Champion, ED-MOUD program; Dr. Paul Watson II, president, Kellogg Community College; Kristin Visel, RN, emergency ED manager, Bronson Battle Creek Hospital; Christina Cameron, MSN, RN, trauma IP coordinator, Bronson Methodist Hospital.