SHAWNEETOWN, Ill. (KFVS) - A new effort in southern Illinois is taking a closer look at overdose deaths.

Not just to understand what happened, but to help prevent future loss.

The Overdose Fatality Review Team brings together health professionals, law enforcement, and local volunteers to examine the circumstances surrounding individual overdose deaths.

Megan Ragan is the executive director of the Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Center. She says to truly understand how and why these overdoses happen, the team looks beyond the numbers, focusing on the real-life experiences behind each case.

“We can’t start better understanding what circumstances led to that until we dive into what was actually going on. How many times did this person come in contact with the treatment provider? W

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