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Escambia EMS CORE Program Marks 400th Opioid Recovery Patient
August 12, 2025
Escambia County EMS has reach a 400th patient milestone in its Coordinated Opioid Recovery Effort (CORE) which aims to combat the opioid crisis and provide comprehensive care to individuals battling opioid addiction.
CORE is a state-funded addiction recovery program that expanded to Escambia County in late 2022, with the county accepting its first CORE patient in February 2023.
Since its inception, the CORE program has worked diligently to offer personalized, non-judgmental support to individuals suffering from opioid use disorder. This program focuses on providing immediate medical care, counseling, and long-term recovery support to help patients through the recovery process.
“When we started, we had no idea just how incredible the journey would be,” said Joey Kerman, Supervisor of the Escambia County EMS CORE Program. “We didn’t have a roadmap — just a deep desire to make our community better. We knew the numbers were high, the need was substantial, and we had a group ready to make a difference. We set out to help people recover and empower them to become the heroes of their own stories. Healing is not easy, and the challenges of recovery are unlike those of any other disease. While physical signs and symptoms exist, addiction is often a secondary disease. What lurks beneath is even more difficult years of physical and emotional trauma that people try to self-medicate with substances.”
“We have asked these individuals to trust us, to let us guide them from darkness into light,” Kerman added. “These 400 patients have placed that trust in us — and in doing so, they’ve inspired us every day to help others. They remain our biggest source of referrals, proving that recovery is possible even when past attempts have failed. We have shown that healing can happen. And today, I want to celebrate those 400 patients. They are the true heroes and deserve the praise.”
The CORE program combines EMS response with community resources, including addiction counseling, mental health support, and recovery services, to give patients the tools and services they need to overcome addiction. By intervening at critical moments and connecting individuals with resources, CORE helps to break the cycle of addiction and offers a pathway to recovery.
“Our CORE team truly cares about the individuals we serve, and I am so proud of them for reaching this significant milestone,” Escambia County EMS Chief Chris Watts said. “Hearing the success stories and the lives being transformed through the CORE program is so rewarding, and that positive impact is what drives us forward as we continue to address the opioid crisis in our community.”
NorthEscambia.com file photo/graphic, click to enlarge.
Comments
One Response to “Escambia EMS CORE Program Marks 400th Opioid Recovery Patient”
The ones doing this program deserve the praise, this program is truly a blessing. No one knows the struggle of being an addict unless you go through it, it’s not something anyone chooses to be. No one says (When I grow up, I want to be an addict) it’s a disease and it can make you do stupid things, things you would never do if you’re sober and the people who belittle addicts obviously has never dealt with it. I was an addict but thanks to the core program I’m in recovery so I thank God everyday that there are people that are caring enough to help people like me instead of just wanting to throw us in jail and forget about us so to everyone who works for the core program, from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU and I love everyone of you for what you’re doing. This program really is AWESOME. Thank you.