School of Government Launches Partnership with Blue Cross NC to Help Local Governments Address the Opioid Epidemic

On February 22, 2018, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina announced a $50 million investment in community health initiatives across the state, including $390,000 to support the School of Government’s work in assisting local governments in addressing the opioid crisis.

ncIMPACT, an initiative of the School of Government, along with School faculty have launched an intensive two-year collaborative learning model that will provide direct support to ten North Carolina communities interested in policy and practice responses to their local opioid crises.

“The Blue Cross NC mission is to improve the health and well-being of our customers and communities, and we are proud to be doing just that,” said Blue Cross NC President and CEO Patrick Conway. “Healthy communities are foundational for healthy North Carolinians. We look forward to continuing to invest in North Carolina’s communities and using future tax savings to offset premium increases for our customers.”

The School’s project will complement health and policy efforts at the state and local levels by working with ten communities that are ready to implement best practices. Each participating community will receive funds for a project manager as well as implementation funds. Communities wishing to take part in this program must submit an online application, due April 6, 2018.

To learn more about Blue Cross NC’s investment, read more at their blog.
To learn more about how the School of Government is working to respond to the opioid crisis, or to apply to participate, visit our website.