January/February 2020 | Volume 105 | No
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NORTHERN OHIO PHYSICIAN January/February 2020 | Volume 105 | No. 1 THE VOICE OF PHYSICIANS IN NORTHERN OHIO www.amcno.org Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium Welcomes New Physician Chair, Achieves Strategic Plan Objectives By Camille Zalar, MHA, BSN, RN, CARN Director of Education and Initiatives, The Center for Health Affairs The Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium began 2020 under the leadership of a structure and developing and implementing a new physician chair, Dr. David Streem, medical director of alcohol and drug recovery at two-year strategic plan with objectives in the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Streem takes the helm following two years of accomplished leadership areas of communication, education and by Dr. Randy Jernejcic, vice president of clinical integration at University Hospitals. patient management, harm reduction, treatment, prevention, data, and public policy. The Opioid Consortium, a physician-led, implementing evidence-based practices, member-driven partnership, includes Cleveland promoting policy changes, and increasing Education Clinic, The MetroHealth System, St. Vincent prevention efforts. Housed at The Center for A flagship initiative of the Opioid Consortium Charity Medical Center, University Hospitals, Health Affairs, the Opioid Consortium was is its opioid education program, launched in VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, The formed when the region’s health systems late 2019. The program was developed for Center for Health Affairs, and The Academy of came together in late 2016 to develop a nurses without specialty training in substance Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio. hospital-specific response to the crisis. or opioid use disorders to strengthen their Together, these organizations are working to understanding and give them tools to identify significantly reduce the impact of the opioid As the first physician chair, Dr. Jernejcic led the and take appropriate action when they epidemic in the region by sharing and organization in establishing its leadership (Continued on page 2) AMEF Sponsors Statewide Immunization Conference The Academy of Medicine Education Foundation (AMEF) was pleased to sponsor the Immunize Ohio 14th Annual Statewide Immunization Conference. The event was very well-attended and featured presenters of various topics related to immunization. Dr. Amy Acton, the Director of the Ohio Dr. Gary Marshall, Chief, Division of Pediatric Department of Health (ODH), opened the Infectious Medicine at the University of conference by stating that there is now a Louisville School of Medicine, provided a “window of opportunity” in Ohio since we presentation on the perspectives of vaccine have a governor who believes in hesitancy. He began his talk by outlining the immunizations. She emphasized that now is history of vaccinology—showing a timeline of the time to join together on a clear strategy when vaccines were developed. He also noted to address issues related to immunizations, that during what he refers to as the “golden and ODH will do everything they can to assist age” of vaccines, there was a belief in science, Dr. Amy Acton, Director of the Ohio Department of with this strategy. so more people were getting vaccinated. The Health, provides opening remarks. (Continued on page 5) INSIDE THIS ISSUE ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED SERVICE ADDRESS AMCNO Mini-Internship Pages 3-4 44131-0999 Cleveland, OH Cleveland, Legislative Update Pages 7-9 Ste. 440 Ste. 6100 Oak Tree Blvd. Blvd. Tree Oak 6100 AMCNO Legal Activities Page 11 AMCNO AMCNO COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium Welcomes New Physician we know that naloxone is a critical tool for Chair, Achieves Strategic Plan Objectives preventing deaths from opioid overdose. The development of this Toolkit is one step that we (Continued from page 1) can take to support providers and patients in encounter substance use disorder symptoms in receive $4.4 million in the first year. Of this getting more naloxone out there in the patients. The coursework, available through an funding, The Center for Health Affairs will community where it can reverse overdose.” online portal, is designed to help nurses receive almost $340,000 the first year. The said Dr. Jernejcic. understand the disease of addiction and its grant funding supports a variety of strategies progression, as well as identify high-risk to strengthen surveillance and better track Another component of this harm reduction substance use, especially opioid use disorder. opioid overdoses and deaths. In addition, it initiative was the hosting of a training on will augment prevention efforts by establishing naloxone in November at The Center for The opioid education program curriculum linkages to care, increasing support to Health Affairs’ office for neighboring comprises four modules, which together cover providers and health systems, and optimizing Playhouse Square District organizations. The topics including how to: prescription and drug monitoring programs. Center teamed up with The MetroHealth • Complete risk assessments. System’s Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With • Identify and understand overdose and Utilizing this funding support, the Opioid Naloxone), which provided the training. A withdrawal. Consortium will develop evidence-based total of 12 individuals representing 10 • Provide education and treatment for provider education geared toward emergency organizations learned about how to recognize opioid use disorder. room physicians and other providers who are the signs and symptoms of overdose and how • Help patients manage complex triaging patients at risk for opioid use disorder to administer naloxone, as well as what to conditions like chronic pain, diabetes, or who have experienced an opioid-related expect when a person is revived. The training hepatitis or pregnancy. event. Train-the-trainer education will be also covered the Ohio Good Samaritan law • Interact with patients’ family members. delivered to healthcare providers to improve that protects people from liability when • Help patients plan for discharge from their use of the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting providing emergency medical and non-medical the hospital. System (OARRS), the state’s prescription drug care. Ten naloxone kits – one for each monitoring program (PDMP). organization represented – were distributed at “The Opioid Consortium membership the training. identified as one of its priorities the Naloxone Toolkit development of an education program, which One of the Opioid Consortium’s goals under HHS Secretary & Surgeon General is beginning with nurses but in time will also the umbrella of harm reduction calls for Meetings grow to incorporate other healthcare increasing access to and use of nasal naloxone. An important component of the Opioid professionals,” said Dr. Jernejcic. “A challenge To that end, last fall the Opioid Consortium Consortium’s strategic plan concerns securing we face in society as a whole is the stigma launched an online Naloxone Toolkit. A changes to public policy that support and associated with addiction. This program is collection of resources freely available through facilitate efforts to reverse the opioid crisis. In meant not only to help us as providers deliver The Center for Health Affairs’ website, the support of that work, the Opioid Consortium quality care but also to help us understand Toolkit is designed to provide useful has taken an active voice on related policy addiction as a chronic illness, alleviating stigma information to patients and healthcare developments and has reached out to public that can prevent patients from seeking and professionals to help ensure naloxone gets officials to share the story of what’s happening obtaining the treatment they need.” into the hands of those who may need it. in Northeast Ohio. The opioid education program is a self- The Toolkit is organized by reader type – In 2019, the Opioid Consortium was fortunate directed course developed with the input of an patients and families, providers, pharmacists, to connect with both the United States Surgeon expert group of nursing professionals from and social workers – and is unique in being a General and the Secretary of Health and across the Opioid Consortium membership single source that covers this spectrum of Human Services (HHS). In the fall, Brian Lane, and accessible by Opioid Consortium member target audiences. Comprising material from president and CEO of The Center for Health organizations through an online portal reputable sources like national and local public Affairs, and Lisa Anderson, MSN, RN, senior maintained by The Center for Health Affairs. health agencies, accrediting bodies and vice president, joined HHS Secretary Alex Azar professional associations, the Toolkit includes: in Washington, D.C., for an opioid roundtable CDC Grant • Talking points for providers, pharmacists discussion. The convening also included key Plans for growing the education portal are and social workers who may be looking HHS staff members, directors from the Office of already underway with funding support from for assistance in discussing naloxone National Drug Policy and the Centers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with patients. Disease Control and Prevention, and leaders (CDC). The CDC awarded $13.3 million over • Guidelines on prescribing and from Dayton, OH, and Huntington, WV. three years to a collaborative of organizations dispensing naloxone. in the region, led by the Cuyahoga County • Informational resources for patients and Lane and Anderson shared information