Santa Cruz Community Health (SCCH) is proud to announce a new partnership with Central Coast Overdose Prevention (CCODP) to provide free, 24/7 access to naloxone (Narcan) in the San Lorenzo Valley. A Narcan Now box, stocked with naloxone, has been installed outside the entrance to the Mountain Health Center (MHC), making this life-saving medication readily available to anyone in the community.
“We are grateful for this partnership with CCODP and for the increased access to naloxone in our community,” said Anita Aguirre, CEO, SCCH. “This Narcan Now box will provide a vital resource for individuals who may be experiencing an opioid overdose, and we encourage everyone to learn how to use naloxone in case of an emergency.”
Santa Cruz County continues to see an increase in opioid-related deaths, particularly those involving fentanyl. From 2020 to 2023, fentanyl-related deaths in Santa Cruz County increased from 6 in 2020, to 62 in 2022, to 100 in 2023. Naloxone is a vital tool for reversing overdoses, and by making it readily available SCCH and CCODP are working to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths in the San Lorenzo Valley.
The Narcan Now box is located outside MHC, 231 Main St. Suite A in Ben Lomond. It is equipped with a QR code that links to the CCODP website where users can find information about naloxone, including how to administer it.
“We are committed to expanding access to naloxone at our Mountain Health Center in Ben Lomond,” said Dr. Rose Lovell, SCCH. “This Narcan Now box will provide a critical resource for our community and help to save lives.”
Opioid overdose is a serious public health crisis, and naloxone is a vital tool for reversing overdoses. By making naloxone readily available, SCCH and CCODP are working to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths in the Valley.
About Santa Cruz Community Health
Through the Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center, Santa Cruz Mountain Health Center and our new Live Oak Health Center, Santa Cruz Community Health (a Federally Qualified Health Center) provides comprehensive primary care services in English and Spanish to all ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities and sexual orientation, regardless of their ability to pay. Seeded by the Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center in 1974, SCCH has maintained a 50-year commitment to its mission: to improve the health of its patients and the community and advocate the feminist goals of social, political, and economic equality. SCCH’s health centers serve over 13,000 patients through a dedicated staff of medical providers, behavioral health providers, nurses, chiropractors, acupuncturists, health educators, and administrative personnel.