In partnership with the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County (DOH-Pasco) and the Alliance for Healthy Communities, BayCare recently unveiled a harm-reduction vending machine at its BayCare Behavioral Health facility in Dade City, Florida. One of four machines located in Pasco County, the program is the newest way BayCare is working with its partners to address the behavioral health needs of the community.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get the care they need,” said BayCare Manager of Behavioral Health Services Sonya Bufe. “Although this is the first time these machines are being utilized in Pasco County, in other areas of the country where they are already in use, there are reports of a 15% reduction in overdose deaths. As Pasco has one of the highest rates of overdose deaths in the state, we are hopeful that this initiative will save lives.”
Placed strategically throughout the county, the vending machines are stocked with harm-reduction tools such as NARCAN, fentanyl and HIV testing strips as well as personal toiletry items, which can be accessed anonymously and free of charge.
BayCare’s investment in behavioral health in Pasco County is guided by the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) which identifies areas of concern within a community. A requirement of the Affordable Care Act, the CHNA is administered every three years, and has consistently identified increased access to mental health and substance use care as a top priority for Pasco County residents.
“As the largest provider of behavioral health services in West Central Florida, BayCare is uniquely positioned to address the needs of the community,” said Gail Ryder, BayCare’s vice president of behavioral health services, and the Florida Hospital Association’s 2025 Health Care Leader of the Year. “Our comprehensive approach to care requires utilizing every tool at our disposal. With support from our BayCare Community Benefit and Government Relations teams, we work closely with local law enforcement, government agencies and not-for-profit partners to envision better ways to deliver care.”
An example of this innovative approach was the opening of the BayCare Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center in New Port Richey in February 2025. Based on information gleaned from the CHNA, BayCare worked with local government and community partners to identify gaps in care and provide solutions. The result was Florida’s first behavioral health urgent care center where people in urgent need of mental health or substance use interventions can voluntarily go to seek timely access to care. Estimated to serve 400 patients in the first year, the center is on track to far outpace early predictions with more than 1,600 patients served to date, 98% of whom received care without the need for hospitalization.
The success of the urgent care in New Port Richey has prompted the construction of a second urgent care location to serve East Pasco. The BayCare Behavioral Health Urgent Care center in Dade City is expected to open in April. In addition, BayCare is opening Pasco County’s first Central Receiving Facility by year’s end, to provide crisis intervention, assessment and referral services for individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises.
In all, BayCare operates 11 inpatient and 15 outpatient behavioral centers across five counties, serving adults as well as children and adolescents. Its impact in West Central Florida was recently recognized by the State of Florida with the designation of the new BayCare Behavioral Health Teaching Hospital at St. Joseph’s, further expanding BayCare’s robust graduate medical education program.
“Whether we are training the next generation of behavioral health care providers, collaborating with community partners to improve access to care or treating patients directly, BayCare is committed to advancing behavioral health services in our state,” said Ryder. “Our holistic approach to care recognizes that physical health and mental health are intrinsically connected. By treating both, BayCare is leading the way to better health and wellness.”
For more information: BayCare Behavioral Health
