Hunter
12/31/25
Johnson County and the University of Iowa are among ten entities that will get funds from the state of Iowa to combat opioid addiction.
The Gazette reports the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services made $14 million available for the grants in early November. The agency notified the 10 entities of its intent to award the grants on Tuesday.
HHS is one of two state agencies that under a new state law receives a portion of funds from national settlements with opioid manufacturers. Funding for the grants comes from the state’s share of the settlement funds. Exact amounts of the individual grants are still to be negotiated. The new law dedicates 75 percent of state settlement funds to Iowa HHS and 25 percent to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.
The grants are to fund projects and services designed to prevent opioid-related deaths, reduce opioid misuse, or increase access to opioid use disorder medication and services.
Johnson County Supervisors Executive Director Erin Shane said Tuesday they will use the grant funds to expand community-based, non-emergency medical care while building a statewide pipeline of community paramedics via its Mobile Integrated Health program.