Recent News
StoryCorps: Cook-Saunders
"These babies were carrying the flag of the substance abuse problem in the United States..." Friends Kyle Cook and Carla Saunders, both neonatal nurse practitioners at East Tennessee Children's Hospital, talk about their pioneering work specializing in neonatal...
StoryCorps: White-Elswick
"At that time in my life, I can only describe that as I was a forest fire burning out of control..." Tony White, Program Director of the Morehead Intervention Center of Pathways, Inc., discusses his journey from addiction to long-term recovery and the work he...
StoryCorps: Rogers-Handy
"They were alleging that we had widespread abuse of Oxycontin. I didn't believe it..." Kentucky 5th District Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers tells his friend Tom Handy why he founded Operation UNITE, a first of its kind effort at combating painkiller abuse in...
FDA commissioner holds listening session
PIKEVILLE - Dr. Robert Califf, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), heard concerns and comments about the growing prescription opioid epidemic during a visit to southeastern Kentucky August 18, 2016. "It's obvious that this is a crushing...
Service Corps increases math scores
Through Operation UNITE’s “Too Good for Drugs” program, test scores increased 43 percent for drug prevention knowledge and 30 percent in math for students in third through fifth grades. The curricula served 1,573 students in 42 schools within 13 school districts this...
Using social media to fight opioid crisis
Operation UNITE is one of five organizations selected to participate in a pilot social media training program to help community-based organizations in Appalachia more effectively use social media to combat the misuse and abuse of prescription painkillers and illegal...
Seeking second chances
FRANKFORT - Nathan Teague made a mistake because of his substance abuse. Although he successfully completed treatment and is doing well in recovery, the non-violent, Class D felony, continues to haunt him. "Restaurant work is really the only job you can get with a...
USC: ‘Above and Beyond’
PRESTONSBURG - Four members of the 2015-16 UNITE Service Corps were recognized with going "Above and Beyond" during a year-end celebration program June 9, 2016. Shon Gray, Benji Hammons, Bethany Rockrohr and Kenna Spears were honored for "demonstrating passion and...
SOAR Innovation Summit
PIKEVILLE - Over 1,100 people from across the country came to the SOAR Innovation Summit to hear about what our 54 county region is doing to shape our future. The focus of the day was about innovation and how SOAR could help these people connect, inspire, and shape...