Mercy Hospital Lebanon has earned recognition from Washington D.C. and an award for innovative thinking thanks to the success of a pilot program helping those struggling with opioid addiction.
Historically, patients suffering from opioid withdrawal were discharged after having their immediate medical needs met, leaving them waiting days or weeks for a follow-up appointment where they face an increased risk of relapsing. Mercy Hospital Lebanon’s program instead provides patients with a free 3-day supply of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid withdrawal. It also schedules them for a follow-up appointment with Mercy’s Virtual Substance Use Recovery Program within 72 hours.
Jenn Speer, the executive director of operations at Mercy Hospital Lebanon, said around 30% of patients engage with the program – more than she and her team had anticipated.
According to the CDC, Greene County had a rate of 17.1 unintentional drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people from October 2024 to September 2025. While that’s a decrease from 24 deaths per 100,000 people in 2024, Greene County still faces one of the higher rates of unintentional drug overdose deaths in the state.
The Health Resources and Services Administration invited Speer and her team to present their pilot program in Washington, D.C.
Out of 10 grantees selected to present their programs in an innovation tank, Mercy’s new opioid treatment program was voted third by event attendees.