Clark Co. sends 'very detailed' needle exchange plan to state
Clark County is one step closer to starting a mobile needle exchange program.
Dr. Kevin Burke, the Clark County Health Department officer, said Tuesday that a more than 200-page plan was submitted to the state health department Monday. The plan asks Dr. Jerome Adams with the Indiana State Department of Health to declare a "public health emergency" in Clark County because of its high HIV and Hepatitis C diagnoses, which would allow it to start a needle exchange program.
"It's a very detailed plan," Burke said Tuesday. "We took the time to analyze some other counties' plans in order to adopt the best practices."
Jennifer O'Malley, a spokeswoman for the state department of health, said the agency received Clark County's plan late Tuesday morning. Adams has 10 days to review the proposal and decide to approve, reject or request additional information.
Burke said he examined programs in Scottsburg, Ind., and Madison County, both of which had needle exchanges approved by the state, to help draft the proposal. Scottsburg is just south of Austin, Ind., where an HIV outbreak brought national attention to the region earlier this year.
Louisville needle exchange to add third location
Clark County commissioners unanimously voted in favor of starting a needle exchange program in August. Burke said the local health department took its time to develop the plan and make sure county officials were on board.
He talked to police chiefs, judges and other Clark County agency leaders to clear up questions they had about starting a needle exchange.
"My impression was that most people I spoke with are on board and seem to understand," Burke said. "Some have a wait-and-see approach."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HIV statistics, Clark County had 166 diagnoses of HIV or AIDS for every 100,000 people in the county in 2012.
Floyd County was closest in the region with 167 for every 100,000. Clark County's HIV diagnoses in 2012 were much higher than most counties in Indiana, according to the CDC data.
The biggest hurdle, Burke said, was finding funding for an exchange program. Burke said Clark County is cash strapped, and a state statute prohibits state funds from being used for needle exchanges.
Comment | Benefits of needle exchange programs
So Burke said the submitted plan would be entirely funded and operated by a national non-profit -- the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Burke said Tuesday the organization already has a mobile needle exchange facility, staffing and supplies for the program.
The group is also in Scott County and Burke said Indiana State Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Austin, helped arrange a similar plan for Clark County. Burke said the plan submitted to the Indiana Department of Health does not include the foundation's budget for the program.
According to Burke, anyone who wants to receive needles from the program would have to show an identification card similar to the size and thickness of a credit card. He said this method is specifically used so there's less of a chance counterfeit cards could be made.
The cards, however, will not reveal on their face the identity of the person using it because Burke said "other programs have found that individuals who have to identify are reluctant to participate." Only Indiana residents will be able to obtain a card.
The program won't just focus on the exchange of needles, Burke said, but intake information will help the organization lead drug users to treatment options and testing for HIV and Hepatitis C. He also said the program will be "pretty strict" about making sure people bring in dirty needles in order to get clean ones.
People who are diagnosed with HIV have substantially higher healthcare costs and suffer socioeconomically, Burke said.
"We almost can't afford not to" have a needle exchange program, he said Tuesday.
Carolyn King, an advocate for needle exchange programs in the region and a Jeffersonville resident, said Clark County needs it for two reasons: public health prevention and to identify and help people struggling with drug addiction. King got involved in Austin's response to the HIV outbreak after her granddaughter died of an intravenous drug overdose.
"People didn't know where to go for help," King said. "They didn't want to be arrested. (Needle exchanges) can help gain trust and get people into treatment and save lives."
Reporter Lexy Gross can be reached at (502) 582-4087, or via email at lgross@courier-journal.com.