Lindsey Clay, Chief Financial Officer at Jenkins County Medical Center, and Katy Hood, Director of Behavioral Health
Two members of the Jenkins County Medical Center leadership team recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the 2026 Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Reverse Site Visit hosted by the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Lindsey Clay, Chief Financial Officer, and Katy Hood, Director of Behavioral Health, joined rural healthcare leaders from across the country to collaborate on strategies for addressing the opioid crisis in rural communities.
Last year, Jenkins County Medical Center was awarded a $300,000 Overdose Response Grant through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. The federal grant helps rural communities strengthen prevention, treatment, and recovery services for substance use disorder.
As part of the initiative, JCMC began local outreach in early January by delivering free Narcan kits to businesses and organizations throughout the community. Narcan is a medication that can quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and restore breathing. The grant is also supporting Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support training classes and the purchase of Automated CPR devices to enhance emergency resuscitation during opioid-related cardiac arrest events.
The Reverse Site Visit brought together organizations participating in the RCORP program to share progress, review national data on opioid trends, and learn about successful strategies being implemented across the country.
“This conference was extremely informative and really highlighted how much work remains in addressing the opioid crisis in communities like ours,” said Hood, who serves as coordinator of JCMC’s opioid response grant. “We learned about strategies hospitals and organizations across the country are using, and we’re looking at how some of those ideas can work here in Jenkins County. It also strengthened our commitment to this effort and encouraged us to pursue the 2026 grant so we can continue and expand this important work.”
One idea Hood says they brought back from the conference is the use of single-use Narcan sprays that can be carried on keychains. Jenkins County Medical Center plans to order one for every employee to carry on a badge or keychain, making it easier to respond quickly in an emergency. The visible kits can also help spark conversations and create opportunities to educate others about how Narcan can save lives.