Jessie Trice Launches Opioid Treatment Initiative
The It's Better Together program connects Miami-Dade residents to medication-based care and recovery support through a partnership with the University of Miami.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Substance Abuse
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Jessie Trice Community Health System has launched the It's Better Together initiative with the University of Miami to link Miami-Dade residents to opioid treatment. The program offers medication for opioid use disorder in outpatient primary care along with support from trained providers and referrals to additional services.
Why it matters
The initiative responds to the scale of the national opioid overdose crisis, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recording 54,045 opioid-involved overdose deaths in 2024. It focuses on connecting people in high-risk communities with care while aiming to reduce stigma around opioid use disorder.
The CDC recorded 79,384 drug overdose deaths in 2024, of which 54,045 were opioid-involved. The available figures are national totals and do not show local enrollment or outcomes for the Miami-Dade program.
The players
Jessie Trice Community Health System
Jessie Trice Community Health System is a Miami-area health system that provides outpatient primary care and now offers medication for opioid use disorder.
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, and is the initiative's partner in this program.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the U.S. federal agency that tracks national overdose death data, reporting the 2024 figures cited in this story.
The details
Residents can call 786-487-3545 to connect with treatment and recovery resources offered through outpatient primary care settings. The health system provides medication for opioid use disorder alongside support from trained providers and referrals to additional services.
Timeline
2024: The CDC records 79,384 drug overdose deaths, including 54,045 opioid-involved deaths.
November 6, 2026: Jessie Trice announces the It's Better Together opioid treatment initiative.
Public Health Context
The local program is one response to the 2024 national overdose totals reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recorded 54,045 opioid-involved deaths. It places outpatient medication-based treatment inside primary care as a way to reach people in high-risk communities.
Residents seeking treatment for opioid use disorder can call 786-487-3545 to connect with medication-based care in outpatient primary care settings. The program also provides referrals to additional recovery services.
The takeaway
Opioid use disorder is treatable with medication delivered in ordinary primary care, and residents can start by calling 786-487-3545 to be connected with care. Reaching people earlier through routine health settings may help reduce the stigma that often keeps people from seeking help.
Further reading
For broader coverage of addiction treatment efforts, see Substance Abuse reporting.
Source note: This article includes information reported by South Florida Caribbean News.
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