As Michigan continues to battle the opioid crisis, Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed $10 million to help our state address this health issue.

Michigan is the second state to receive support from Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of the organization’s three-year $50 million initiative that will cover 10 states in the U.S.

Michigan’s opioid epidemic by the numbers:

• Michigan ranks eighth in the country for the number of overdose deaths.

• In 2017 there were 2,729 drug overdose deaths in Michigan, a 14 percent increase from 2016.

• From 1999 to 2016 there was a 17x increase in overdose deaths in our state.

Bloomberg Philanthropies said that it will work with its national partners to support high impact, state-based interventions.

The $10 million investment in Michigan is aimed at leveraging work already underway in our state.

Bloomberg Philanthropies shares that projects may include expanding Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder in settings like correctional facilities, expanding distribution of naloxone (a nasal spray or injection that reverses the effects of opioids) and enhancing systems to improve the timely collection of data to help speed response to the crisis.

“We hope our work in places like Michigan and Pennsylvania spares more families the heartbreak of losing a loved one to opioid addiction or overdose,” Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and World Health Organization Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases said. “And by showing that progress is possible, we can create a model for action that other states and organizations can follow.”

As CMF has reported, several CMF members have been working in partnership together on projects and programs to prevent opioid abuse, including leading education efforts for CMF members through webinars and discussions hosted by the CMF Health Funders Affinity Group.

The Office of Foundation Liaison (OFL) has supported Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s policy team as the Bloomberg Philanthropies opportunity evolved and participated in project development discussions to ensure the work of Michigan funders was represented. 

As a result, Bloomberg’s implementation team has extended its stay in Michigan to attend the CMF Health Funders Affinity Group meeting on April 11 where they will provide a brief presentation on their work and engage with Michigan funders on the opioid epidemic. 

Want more?

There’s still time to register to join the Health Funders Affinity Group Meeting on April 11 in Lansing.