Overland Park, Kan. — (November 21, 2025) – HCA Midwest Health today announced that its hospitals collected more than 600 pounds of medications during its 6th annual “Crush the Crisis” national opioid take back day on Saturday, October 25, 2025. The event aligned with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to raise awareness about the danger of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications. HCA Midwest Health is Kansas City’s largest healthcare provider.

The community participated in the event by dropping off unused and expired medications at Belton Regional Medical Center, ER of Independence, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, Menorah Medical Center and Overland Park Regional Medical Center’s ER of Shawnee. Law enforcement agencies were onsite to collect discarded medications.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 80,391 people died from drug overdoses in 2024, and 68% of all overdose fatalities involved opioids.

“I am incredibly proud of our health system collecting more than 600 pounds of discarded medication this year,” said Eric Benink, MD, chief medical officer at HCA Midwest Health. “At our core, we are people taking care of people, and our annual Crush the Crisis take back day is a powerful reflection of that commitment. I am grateful to all of our colleagues and local law enforcement partners for helping us to create healthier tomorrows for our communities.”

As an affiliate of HCA Healthcare, HCA Midwest Health and its family of hospitals are part of a health system that also uses the science of “big data” to reduce opioid misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings, including:

• Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR): a multi-modal approach to pain management using pre-, intra- and post-operative interventions to optimize outcomes. HCA Healthcare’s ESR programs have demonstrated significant improvements in surgical recovery and patient satisfaction, including decreases in opioid usage.
  
  
• Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): aims to stem increasing rates of opioid-related addiction, misuse diversion and death by making it more difficult for medication-seekers to doctor-shop and alter prescriptions. Physicians have access to aggregated electronic health records, providing data that will allow them to prescribe opioids judiciously.

This year, all 15 HCA Healthcare U.S. divisions participated in a “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day at 110 collection sites across 17 states resulting in a record 19,846 pounds collected and discarded, approximately 13.6 million doses, of unused or expired medications.

About HCA Midwest Health 

As the Kansas City area’s largest healthcare provider, HCA Midwest Health comprises seven hospitals and dozens of outpatient centers, clinics, physician practices, surgery centers, and other facilities and services to meet residents’ healthcare needs. HCA Midwest Health is one of the area’s largest employers, with more than 10,000 colleagues and a local economic impact of more than $1.4 billion annually. That includes more than $102 million annually in charity and uncompensated care and more than $200 million in federal, state, and local taxes to help improve the schools, roads, and infrastructure of the communities we serve. HCA Midwest Health facilities include Research Medical Center, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, Centerpoint Medical Center, Menorah Medical Center, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, Belton Regional Medical Center, Lafayette Regional Health Center, and Research Psychiatric Center. HCA Midwest Physicians, part of HCA Midwest Health, is a network of experienced, multi-specialty physicians throughout the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Currently, HCA Midwest Physicians represents nearly 600 providers. It includes 80+ specialties, providing care in 150+ locations to serve our community. The physicians, licensed professionals, and support staff who comprise the HCA Midwest Health team are dedicated to improving healthcare in the Greater Kansas City and outlying areas to create healthier communities that lead to healthier tomorrows. For more information, visit hcamidwest.com.

Christine Hamele
HCA Midwest Health, Associate Vice President, Public Relations and Community Affairs
Public Information Officer 
913-208-5566 | christine.hamele@hcamidwest.com

Kimberly Winter Stern
HCA Midwest Health News Bureau
913-449-4294 | kimberlyHCAMidwest@sternwrites.com