Athena Huckaby, MPH Published in Source New Mexico
Athena Huckaby, MPH, has published a commentary in Source New Mexico examining how opioid settlement spending is measured and what expenditure reports alone cannot tell us about the quality, sustainability, or impact of local investments.
In “What Spending Reports Can’t Tell Us About the Opioid Settlement,” Huckaby argues that accountability for settlement funds should include more than the speed at which dollars leave government accounts. Meaningful implementation also requires community engagement, planning, infrastructure development, and investments designed to address needs created over decades.
The commentary draws on her work in local public health and opioid settlement implementation in Doña Ana County.