Evansville Mayor Stephanie Terry today announced a request for proposals for approximately $1.3 million in Opioid Settlement Funds designated for use in the Evansville area.

The funds are part of a $54 billion federal settlement agreement reached in 2021 with Opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. At the time, Indiana learned it would receive $507 million of those funds over an 18-year period; the approximately $1.3 million for which Mayor Terry is seeking proposals includes funds remaining from the city’s allocation in 2023, as well as the city’s full 2024 allocation.

“As of today, we are requesting proposals for projects and programs that can make an impact on the opioid crisis in our community,” Mayor Terry said. “This includes proposals for education and prevention, harm reduction, enforcement, treatment, and any other areas that might make a difference fighting opioids in our community.”

The application form, which is due by May 15, can be found on the city’s website at Document Center / Mayor Announces City Opioid Settlement Fund Application / City of Evansville, IN (evansvillegov.org).

In all, the city has $940,540.27 in “restricted” funds, which must be used for opioid addiction, treatment, and harm reduction purposes. Another $371.028.44 is in “unrestricted” funds, which can be used for non-opioid purposes.

“It is our intention, though, to put all of these funds toward programs dealing with the opioid crisis,” Mayor Terry said.

Last year, city officials allocated more than $645,000 in restricted funds to Youth First, Inc. ($257,500) and Forefront Therapy ($387,642).

“We’re grateful for the exceptional work that Youth First and Forefront Therapy are doing in fighting the opioid epidemic at its roots,” Mayor Terry said. “These funds will allow us to build on their work as we continue moving Evansville forward.”

This year’s funding application was developed by an ad hoc committee of individuals representing Mayor Terry’s office and various constituencies involved in the fight against opioids, including:

• Deputy Mayor Lindsay Locasto
• Communications Director Joe Atkinson
• State Representative Ryan Hatfield
• Superior Court Judge Wayne S. Trockman
• Assistant Evansville Police Chief Nathan Hassler
• LaRissa Madison, MSN-Ed, RN, IBCLC, RLC
• Lisa Seif, LCSW

In crafting the application, the group leaned heavily on the five guiding principles published by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health to ensure that the funds are used in the most effective way. Those principles also will be at the fore when the committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to Mayor Terry and the Evansville City Council regarding how to allocate the funds.

Any committee members with ties to organizations applying for the funds will be required to remove themselves from the review process.

INDIANAPOLIS (April 1, 2024) – The Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) and its community partners are working together to raise awareness and educate the public in honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month. DCS encourages individuals and organizations to play a role in making Indiana a safer place for children and families — not just in April, but throughout the year.

Gov. Eric J. Holcomb has proclaimed April Child Abuse Prevention Month to call attention to efforts to support families and keep children safe. View the governor’s proclamation here. 

“Every child has the right to safe, secure and supportive environments free from child abuse and neglect,” Governor Holcomb said. “The key to preventing these cases is to ensure we have community programs and systems that are engaged and supportive so families can thrive.”

DCS and its partners work to provide support for communities through preventive programs for families, including Healthy Families Indiana and Community Partners for Child Safety (CPCS). DCS also opened family resource centers in La Porte, Wayne, Tippecanoe, Clark and Elkhart counties in the past six months. These centers are designed to allow easy access to a range of services and supports, including tutoring, notary services, parent trainings, tax preparation and other resources to help increase protective factors and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect.

“Child safety is our number one goal,” DCS Director Eric Miller said. “For DCS, this month is all about increasing awareness of the things that put children at risk so that families and communities can better protect them and prevent abuse and neglect.”

Throughout April, DCS will share resources, photos and videos related to prevention on Instagram, X and YouTube. DCS local offices and partners also will host special events focused on education and prevention. In partnership with Firefly Children and Family Alliance, the Marion County DCS office will host a kickoff celebration at Bicentennial Plaza from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on April 7. To view the statewide Child Abuse Prevention Month calendar of events, click here.

Anyone who suspects a child has been neglected or abused should call the Indiana Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800-800-5556. For more information and resources on preventing child abuse and neglect, click here. 

Midwest Neurological P.C. associates joining Ascension Medical Group.

EVANSVILLE, IND.-  Ascension St. Vincent Evansville is pleased to welcome the physicians and staff of Midwest Neurological P.C. to the Ascension Medical Group (AMG) team. The group comprises three board-certified physicians specializing in neurology: Carla Brandt, MD, Francis Kadiyamkuttiyil, MD and Faris Fadheel, MD.  

Clinical teams at Ascension St.Vincent Evansville and Midwest Neurological P.C. have worked together to provide high-quality neurology care to patients for many years. We know that through this new partnership, we will continue to build and deliver outstanding neurological care to the community.

“We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter of growth and innovation with this group of specialists that have served our community for three decades. Our top priority remains unwavering — providing high-quality, compassionate care to patients and their families,” says Dr. Chad Perkins, Regional Chief Medical Officer, AMG Evansville.  “This acquisition aligns perfectly with our commitment to enhancing healthcare services and addressing the evolving needs of the community we serve. We are dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition that ultimately benefits our patients, staff and the entire region.”

In August of 2023, we announced the opening of the new Thrombectomy Suite, a major advancement in stroke care. This technology uses multiple X-rays to give the physician a 3-D, live look at the stroke-causing blood clot to quickly and efficiently remove it. Offering our patients the best chance at recovery. Our neurologists are involved in the care of these patients from early in their hospital course through their outpatient neurological follow-up care. The Midwest Neurological, P.C., physicians joining the Ascension Medical Group brings together the care team, making follow-up care easier to navigate for patients and their families.

As part of this acquisition, we have worked to onboard our new team members so they are ready to begin seeing patients immediately. We are renovating the Ascension St. Vincent Evansville Medical Office Building East, located at 801 St. Mary’s Drive, to accommodate our growing practice. We anticipate the construction will be completed by the end of June 2024. 

Until construction is completed, Drs. Brandt, Kadiyamkuttiyil and Fadheel will continue to see patients at their current location: 1312 Professional Boulevard, Evansville, IN 47714.

We are excited for possibilities this partnership will bring to the region and our healthcare ministry.