Beginning to Heal
The West Virginia First Foundation
PAIGE UDERMANN
The opioid epidemic has left West Virginia with staggeringly high rates of addiction , overdoses and associated losses . Countless lawsuits have been filed seeking to hold pharmaceutical companies and distributors responsible for their role in overprescribing opioids , leading to the substance use disorder West Virginia finds itself plagued with .
As opioid litigations in West Virginia continue , the state has already received $ 300 million in settlements aimed at distributing the funds in the most effective way to target the war on drugs . With the immense amount of money comes an enormous responsibility , which is why the West Virginia First Foundation ( WVFF ) was established by Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and the West Virginia Legislature . The WVFF will take charge of 72.5 % of the settlement funds and the decision-making associated with where it will be allocated , while the additional 24.5 % will be given to local governments .
“ The West Virginia First Foundation is intended to be the crown jewel of the state ’ s efforts to combat the scourge caused by drug addiction ,” says Morrisey . “ As a private foundation , it will be uniquely positioned to leverage the already substantial resources delivered through the settlements by partnering with state , federal and private sector entities . By doing so , it will be able to create a durable structure capable of operating long into the future to provide expertise , knowledge and funding to help heal the damage caused by the opioid epidemic .”
Although no amount of money can reverse the tragedy of lives lost , the WVFF will strategically and intentionally work to rebuild and save lives . Morrisey foresees healing the devastation and pain caused by the opioid epidemic will be extremely challenging work ; however , it is clear the foundation is up to the task . Currently , the WVFF board members are building its structure and processes .
“ We have been given this tremendous responsibility to take this sum of money — so far , $ 217.5 million — and , based on the desires of the counties and municipalities , we are putting it into a private foundation . What this means is that West Virginians want this money to last for a long time , probably longer than I ’ ll be around ,” says Matt Harvey , chairman of WVFF . “ Our goal as a board is to build that structure out so we can safely have that money and start connecting with stakeholders to develop our philosophies and assess our greatest needs and priorities revolving around how it would be best to allocate the funds to maximize the effect for the citizens of West Virginia .”
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