Morongo Basin Healthcare District Launches Harm-Reduction Program

The Morongo Basin Healthcare District is launching a new harm-reduction program focused on saving lives and enhancing public health. The initiative offers free overdose-reversal medication, HIV prevention and treatment options, and expanded community outreach resources that could make the difference between life and death.

Diana Anderson, Community Programs Liaison for the healthcare district, says the program begins with free harm-reduction kits now being distributed throughout the Basin. “The kits include Narcan, fentanyl test strips, and an at-home HIV test,” Anderson explained. “We walk people through what’s inside, how to use it, and what to look for in case of an overdose.”

These supplies can save a life during critical moments. Narcan, or naloxone, is a nasal spray that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose. Because fentanyl can be present in common substances like marijuana, fentanyl test strips are an essential early warning tool. Huff stressed that immediate action is vital: “If someone is unconscious, you don’t wait to test. You use Narcan and call emergency services.”

Alongside overdose prevention, the program also emphasizes HIV education and treatment. Nurse practitioner Tina Huff, director of Integrated Health Services at Morongo Basin Community Health Centers, explains that the message focuses on both prevention and hope. “If you do test positive for HIV, there are medications that can bring you to undetectable levels, meaning you can’t pass it on to anyone else.” 

Huff says, “We also share information about PrEP, a daily pill that prevents HIV, and PEP, a treatment you can take within 72 hours if you’ve been exposed.”

Through a federal partnership, new pharmacy locations in Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms can offer uninsured residents a free 30-day supply of PrEP or PEP, with no doctor’s prescription needed. The program also broadens treatment options for opioid and alcohol addiction through medication-assisted therapy (MAT). Patients arriving in the emergency room after an overdose can now be linked to ongoing care through the California Bridge Program, ensuring that lifesaving treatment continues beyond crisis intervention.

A federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) supports these services, but future funding remains uncertain. “In 2023, San Bernardino County recorded 473 fentanyl-related deaths,” Huff says. “Even if we save just one life here, that’s worth everything. We want people to know they’re supported and cared for, regardless of funding issues.”

Community outreach remains central to the effort. On October 11, the district will distribute harm-reduction kits and provide education at its semi-annual Health Fair at Freedom Plaza in Twentynine Palms. More than 30 vendors will be there, offering free flu shots and health screenings. Residents can also access harm-reduction kits and information year-round through the Morongo Basin Community Health Centers, New Pharmacy locations, and partners, including Reach Out Yucca Valley and Hi-Desert Medical Center’s emergency room.

The district also emphasizes what to do if you find someone in trouble: check responsiveness immediately; call 911; spray Narcan into their nostril; stay with the person and get them to a hospital, since Narcan wears off and another overdose could happen; and don’t wait to test, act first; testing can come later.

Both Huff and Anderson agree: the Harm Reduction program is focused on saving lives.

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