People who die from accidental overdose do not get a second chance at recovery. Most people do recover eventually with help, support and treatment.
John Letendre, continuum of care facilitator for Cheshire Medical Center’s Center for Population HealthCheshire Medical Center, a member of Dartmouth Health, is helping increase access and awareness to naloxone by distributing opioid rescue kits to public organizations in the Greater Monadnock Region.
The New Hampshire State Opioid Response team equipped every public health network in the state, including Cheshire’s Center for Population Health, with these kits, known as NaloxBoxes.
NaloxBoxes hang on the wall, just as other emergency equipment like first aid kits or fire extinguishers would. The kit includes naloxone—a life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication, also known by the brand name Narcan—gloves, a face shield and instruction on how to properly administer the drug.
John Letendre, the continuum of care coordinator for Cheshire Medical Center’s Center for Population Health, has been in charge of distributing NaloxBoxes throughout the Monadnock Region, with 36 put up since the fall of 2023. The kits can be found locally in libraries, public housing authorities, universities and mental health organizations.
Ideally, the boxes would be used as often as any other emergency kit would. But having them in place is crucial, as opioid overdoses can quickly lead to death if no one intervenes.
In addition to saving more lives, these kits also help reduce the stigma often associated with opioid overdoses by treating these incidents like any other bystander-enabled medical response.
“Saving lives with naloxone is a critical part of harm reduction,” Letendre said. “People who die from accidental overdose do not get a second chance at recovery. Most people do recover eventually with help, support and treatment.”
Anyone, anytime, can experience addiction—and anyone, anytime, can ask for help. If you or anyone you know is experiencing an addiction, call 2-1-1. You will be connected with a Doorway at one of nine trusted community hospitals, including Cheshire Medical Center, depending on your location. The Doorway will connect you to the supports and services and the level of care that's right for you. To learn more, visit cheshiremed.org/doorway.
About Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) is a Dartmouth Health member providing the communities in the Greater Monadnock Region a continuum of care spanning primary care and specialty medicine, to surgical services and acute inpatient care. For more than 130 years, Cheshire has been a key contributor to the health and vitality of the Monadnock Region. As a not-for-profit community medical center, Cheshire is deeply committed to delivering excellent care in a safe and welcoming environment. Cheshire is dedicated to being a great neighbor and serves as an integral community resource. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit the Cheshire Medical Center website.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.