Kraft-funded van will bring addiction services to city streets
Another prominent Boston-area business leader is stepping up to address the state’s opioid crisis.
The Kraft Center for Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital — funded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his family’s charitable foundation — on Tuesday rolled out a specially equipped mobile van, dubbed CareZone, to bring health services to Boston residents who are struggling with addiction. The van will rotate between two locations in the city, one in the Dudley Square area and the other close to North Station.
Kraft said he has been alarmed by the number of deaths statewide from opioid overdoses, which, on average, has approached six a day.
“People are falling through the cracks and not getting the care they need,” said Kraft, who has committed $25 million to fund the center since 2011. “We thought we would bring on-demand access to addiction care where people need it the most.”