In response to the spike in opioid overdose deaths in South Florida during spring break, The SPOT (Special Purpose Outreach Team) mobile medical clinic was present throughout the month of March distributing Naloxone (Narcan), a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose, and provide medical services at no cost.
Fentanyl is Florida’s deadliest opioid. About 8,000 Floridians die annually of fentanyl overdoses. Deaths are on the rise in Miami-Dade, too, according to the Miami-Dade County medical examiner.
The SPOT mobile medical clinic is the only Syringe Services Program (SSP) approved by Broward County and authorized under the Florida Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA). Validated by the CDC, SSPs take used needles off the streets and prevent overdoses by providing education, medical care, and linkage to substance use disorder treatment programs. In addition to harm reduction services, The SPOT also provides medical services such as HIV, HCV, STI, infectious disease screening, COVID-19 vaccination, and more.
The mobile medical clinic links those ready for care, based on their level of need, to community partners or to Care Resource’s comprehensive outpatient services like our Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) program.
The SPOT focuses on areas of the county that lack ready access to affordable healthcare and support services. It is dedicated to ending health disparities in historically underserved communities.
To learn more, please visit: TheSpotBroward.org
