The stigma is being eradicated, and in its place, hope and purpose are being offered. This is a huge deal for the national recovery community

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (PRWEB)
September 26, 2019

Williamson College is teaming up with Spring 2 Life Recovery to offer college credits in exchange for completion of the recovery program curriculum.

The 7 Principles curriculum teaches recovery through biblical knowledge. S2L Recovery bases their approach around seven Christ-centered principles so that each student can find their way to recovery at their own pace.

This partnership is the first of its kind, but hopefully not the last. “We want other universities and other rehabs to do this, and we’re willing to show them how we got to this place. This partnership speaks volumes to an organization that actually gets it. The stigma is being eradicated, and in its place, hope and purpose are being offered. This is a huge deal for the national recovery community,” said Pastor Adam Comer, CEO, S2L Recovery.

The complementary program between Williamson College and S2L Recovery is set to begin in 2020.

Join S2L Recovery and Williamson College for the signing of the articulation agreement at 9 a.m. on October 1st, 2019, at 3180 Hill Creek Road, Woodbury, TN, 37190.

Led by ordained pastoral counselors, an experienced medical/clinical team, and certified peer recovery specialists, S2L offers a safe and nurturing Christian environment. S2L Recovery team members don’t judge the circumstances that bring men to treatment because of addiction. Instead, they strive to follow Christ’s example and serve others through restoration and recovery.

Since its inception in 1998, Williamson College has become a dynamic, collaborative, creative center of learning that is equipping students to impact the communities they step into. Williamson College is a private, non-profit, Christian liberal arts college that welcomes students of all ages and cultures, including non-traditional learners who are already in the workforce.

Click here to learn more about this exciting partnership.

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Participants will also learn how to select candidates for opioid trials, assess for risk, and initiate opioid therapy, but only after exploring nonopioid and nonpharmacological strategies

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (PRWEB)
September 26, 2019

PAINWeekEnd on October 12 at The Westin Richmond, 6631 W. Broad Street, in Virginia, will be an educational and exciting program providing busy clinicians and allied healthcare practitioners with 6.0 hours of relevant, practical instruction in the management of chronic pain.

At PAINWeekEnd Richmond, David Cosio, PhD, ABPP, will present Falling Down the Rabbit Hole: A Primer for Chronic Pain Management and Substance Abuse Disorders. As the economic, mental health, and medical consequences of prescribing opioid medications have mounted, the prevailing logic regarding the usefulness of prescribing opioids for chronic pain has shifted. Commenting on his course, Dr. Cosio said, “Given the high level of comorbidity between opioid use disorders and chronic pain, providers’ decisions about how to address treatment with patients who may have, or who have been diagnosed with, substance use disorders are often complex. In this session, we’ll be exploring how patient and provider education programs and communication interventions may improve outcomes in pain management. Participants will also learn how to select candidates for opioid trials, assess for risk, and initiate opioid therapy, but only after exploring nonopioid and nonpharmacological strategies.” Dr. Cosio will also present The Gentle Art of Saying No: How to Establish Appropriate Boundaries With Chronic Pain Patients.

Other course topics: Pain Management at Ground Zero; The Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight: Revisiting the CDC Guideline; Thug Drugs; and Migraine and More.

Commercially supported activities—addressing a range of product, disease state, and medical information topics—will also be presented.

For more information about this or other regional conferences, and to register for $129, go to the PAINWeekEnd website. BONUS: PAINWeekEnd registrants may register for the 2020 PAINWeek National Conference, September 8-12, in Las Vegas, for $200 off the regular online published price.

PAINWeekEnd is provided by Global Education Group. About Global Education Group:

Global Education Group focuses on producing partnership-based CME for healthcare practitioners. The Global team works with a select group of medical education companies, associations, academic institutions and healthcare facilities to develop and accredit live healthcare conferences and workshops as well as online activities. With each partnership or joint providership, Global brings accreditation expertise, project management excellence and grant funding intelligence. Based in Littleton, Colo., Global has accreditation with commendation from the ACCME. Global also holds accreditations to offer continuing education for nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dietitians, dentists and psychologists. Global is a division of Ultimate Medical Academy.

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The perspectives gathered from various professional fields at the stimulant summit are crucial to identifying the evidence-based strategies we need for effective treatment and prevention.

MALVERN, Pa. (PRWEB)
September 25, 2019

With the surge in misuse of prescription and illicit stimulants, HMP, a leader in healthcare events and education and producer of the annual Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, today announced the second annual Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit will be held November 8–10, 2019, in Miami, Florida, and will feature an agenda comprising expert speakers with deep knowledge of the ongoing epidemic.

The Cocaine, Meth & Stimulant Summit is the only educational event providing clinical, law enforcement, and public safety professionals with practical strategies and solutions to address the country’s stimulant crisis, an often underrecognized emergency compounding the opioid epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 14,000 cocaine users and 10,000 meth users died in the United States in 2017, an increase of more than a third compared with 2016 and triple the number of deaths in 2012. That puts stimulant deaths on par with the opioid depressant heroin, which was involved in 15,000 overdose deaths in 2017.

The Summit will kick off with a keynote address from John L. Eadie, MPA, a coordinator with the National Emerging Threats Initiative, administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, on Friday, November 8. With 44 years’ experience within the public health field, Eadie has served in management, executive, and consulting capacities, directing the New York state Department of Health’s pharmaceutical diversion program from 1985 to 1995. His session will present the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative’s (HIDTA) latest findings to be used by clinicians, law enforcement, and public safety personnel to design appropriate interdiction, prevention, and treatment programs.

Sheriff Mark Lamb, Pinal County, Arizona, is also slated to speak. Elected in 2017, Sheriff Lamb leads initiatives to address the stimulant crisis by developing relationships with mental and behavioral health providers throughout the county. In addition to its specialized narcotics and anti-smuggling teams, the Sheriff’s office works with federal partners to combat human and drug trafficking in Pinal County. Sheriff Lamb has appeared on A&E Network’s Live PD and 60 Days In.

“Addressing the dangers of stimulant addiction requires a multifaceted approach,” said Doug Edwards, Director, HMP’s Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Learning Network. “The perspectives gathered from various professional fields at the stimulant summit are crucial to identifying the evidence-based strategies we need for effective treatment and prevention. Having the participation of industry leaders like John Eadie and Sheriff Lamb is testament to the severity of this issue.”

This year’s Summit features a clinical track as well as law enforcement and public safety tracks, catering to the various players involved in fighting this epidemic. Attendees can earn up to 23.25 CE credits at the Summit, including 3 ethics credits. Organizations supporting the conference include the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the National Safety Council, the National HIDTA Program Emerging Threats Initiative, and National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition.

For more information, visit stimulantsummit.com. For media inquiries, contact Kelly McCurdy at pr@hmpglobal.com.

About HMP

HMP is the force behind Healthcare Made Practical – and is a multichannel leader in health care events and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global health care community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include Consultant360, the year-round, award-winning platform relied upon by primary care providers and other specialists; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, the largest annual gathering on the opioid crisis; EMS World Expo, North America’s largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com.

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PRC Logo

Substance abuse and chemical dependency are not only dangerous because of the risk of overdose, but also due to their severe impact on other health and societal issues, such as mental health, injury, high-risk sexual behavior, and crime.

OMAHA, Neb. (PRWEB)
September 24, 2019

Addiction, like any disease, pays no mind to race, class, or education. As substance abuse grows across every region of the United States, understanding its prevalence has become a critical element of community health. To equip those fighting addiction on the front lines and to better inform the public of its impact, PRC’s community health experts have gathered new data about alcohol and drug use.

“With the onset of the opioid crisis, substance abuse, as a health issue, has captured America’s attention and is finally getting the attention it deserves,” Bruce Lockwood, Vice President of Community Health at PRC, said. “Substance abuse impacts not only the ‘users’ or ‘abusers,’ but so many others, including the person’s family, friends, and community members.”

In addition to the direct health impact on individuals, substance abuse contributes to negative health outcomes in a number of ways, including, but not limited to community and family violence; sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy; motor vehicle crashes and other accidental injury; and suicide.

The Impact of Substance Abuse

Each population segment faces the effects of substance abuse. “While different parts of our country—and different parts of society—are impacted more than others, certainly no segment of the population is immune to the effects of substance abuse,” Lockwood said.

According to PRC’s National Health Survey, just 3% of US adults have sought professional help for an alcohol or drug problem at some point in their lives. However, a much higher 37% report being personally, directly, and negatively impacted by substance abuse (whether their own substance abuse or that of someone they are close to).

While substance abuse clearly affects Americans of all demographic characteristics, the impact appears particularly high in women, young adults, low-income populations, Whites, and African-Americans.

Alcohol Use

PRC national survey data reveal that just over half (55%) of US adults consume alcohol, having had at least one drink of alcohol during the month preceding the interview.

In terms of risky alcohol behaviors, 10% of US adults are “heavy drinkers,” averaging two or more drinks per day for men, or one or more drinks per day for women. Separately, 20% are “binge drinkers,” having had a high number of drinks (five for men, four for women) on a single occasion during the month preceding the survey.

In all, nearly one in four of US adults are considered to be “excessive drinkers” (reporting heavy drinking and/or episodes of binge drinking). This is notably higher in younger adults, particularly young men. Whites and those with higher incomes are also more often characterized as excessive drinkers. By geography, researchers found little statistical variation among broad US regions (South, West, Northeast, and the Midwest).

Drug Use

Despite growing evidence to the contrary, just 3% of US adults acknowledge using an illicit drug in the past month (including use of illegal substances or of someone else’s prescription medication). This is significantly lower than the 5% recorded in 2001, but as a self-reported measure—and because this indicator reflects potentially illegal behavior—it is reasonable to expect this to be underreported and that actual illicit drug use across the nation is higher.

Interestingly, and perhaps due to recent legalization of marijuana in many states, a much higher prevalence of adults responding to the PRC National Health Survey (12%) report using marijuana at least once in the past month, especially among adults under 40 and those in lower-income households.

Overdose Deaths

According to CDC data, drug overdose deaths in the US have tripled since 2000. Heroin (12,989 deaths) and prescription opioid pain relievers (22,598 deaths) are major contributors, with five- to seven-fold increases in deaths since 2000. As a percent of all overdose deaths in 2015, 63% were opioid class drugs, 57% were prescription drugs, and 42% were illicit drugs.

Furthering the clear evidence for an opioid crisis, researchers found that among the more than 64,000 drug overdose deaths estimated in 2016, the sharpest increase was related to fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (synthetic opioids), with over 20,000 overdose deaths (National Institute on Drug Abuse).

“Substance abuse and chemical dependency are not only dangerous because of the risk of overdose, but also due to their severe impact on other health and societal issues, such as mental health, injury, high-risk sexual behavior, and crime,” Jana Distefano, Director of Community Health at PRC said. “The opioid epidemic continues to impact communities of all types across the United States. As programs evolve and work to impact this issue, it is even more important to monitor and track progress regularly, so we not only overcome this threat to our health, but also strengthen the overall ability of our communities to thrive.”

PRC, a healthcare market research and consulting firm based in Omaha, NE, has performed community health needs assessments in over 500 distinct communities for over 25 years and has touched the lives of over 100 million Americans.

Professional Research Consultants, Inc., (PRC)

Since its inception in 1980, PRC has helped more than 2,200 healthcare organizations achieve their research objectives by collecting and analyzing timely, accurate, and reliable feedback from patients, employees, physicians, and the community at large. We are proud to be at the forefront of innovation in the healthcare market research industry. PRC helps healthcare organizations achieve excellence by collecting and analyzing timely, accurate, and reliable feedback through five research divisions: Patient Experience, Employee Engagement, Physician Partnership Solutions, Consumer and Brand, and Community Health Needs Assessments. PRC offers its clients real-time feedback through Esurveys, Star Ratings for both providers and practice locations, and a mobile app to track PX progress from any device. Further, PRC’s Excellence Accelerator team provides world class consulting, coaching, assessments, and speaking services.

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Dr. Alejandro Badia

Today, we have many proven, opioid-sparing options, including minimally invasive operative techniques and pre- and post-surgical uses of advanced nerve-blocking agents and long-lasting local anesthetics like EXPAREL® to resolve both pain and inflammation.

MIAMI (PRWEB)
August 13, 2019

Innovative pain management alternatives during and after surgery can significantly reduce the number of patients becoming chronic users – and abusers — of opioid drugs, says noted orthopedic surgeon Alejandro Badia MD, founder and chief medical officer of the Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and OrthoNOW®, who has successfully paired standard anesthesia during surgery with a new, opioid-sparing analgesic.

Called EXPAREL®, from Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the non-narcotic drug is injected as a single dose at the site of the regional block (nerves that deaden extremity) and often directly into the surgical site as well to help produce postoperative pain relief. The medication incorporates technology that encapsulates it in liposomal particles, allowing release of the drug’s pain-inhibiting properties for an extended period, Dr. Badia explains.

“In a recent case with a patient Dr. Amy Chappell, a neurologist and prominent lifestyle medicine physician who sustained a massive rotator cuff tear requiring double row repair, a procedure that can be particularly painful, the patient only required an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication to mitigate discomfort following administration of EXPAREL® during surgery,” says Dr. Badia. According to Dr. Chappell, “I never had pain after the surgery and the only real issue was having to wear the protective abuction pillow and sling”!

Another case involved Nick Mendez, the CEO of OrthoNOW®, an innovative orthopedic care delivery company, who underwent combined labral repair and insertion of the Regeneten® patch to his rotator cuff for a partial tear. Mr. Mendez stated, “I had slight discomfort but never pain that required me taking anything other than some Motrin and I was able to even continue working via my mobile phone the same day of the outpatient procedure”.

The recent launch of a national education campaign underscores Dr. Badia’s comments. The campaign encourages patients to discuss non-opioid options for pain management with their doctors prior to undergoing surgical procedures. Campaign sponsors cite data indicating that only a 10% reduction in the number of physician-written prescriptions for opioid drugs following surgery would mean 300,000 fewer patients becoming “persistent opioid users.”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that common prescription opioids like hydrocodone (Vicodin®), oxymorphone (Opana®), codeine and fentanyl are chemically similar to heroin. In fact, nearly 80% of Americans using heroin say they turned to the drug after initially misusing prescription opioids, the Institute states.

Dr. Badia points to a 2017 study in JAMA Surgery indicating that patients often receive prescriptions for a month’s worth of opioid pills and that some 6% of them are still taking the drugs three months or longer after their procedures. Even more alarming, he says, is a March 2017 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found that as many as 13% of patients who received prescriptions for a week’s supply of opioid drugs were still taking them a year later.

“Surgery, including orthopedic surgery which is sometimes associated with a higher level of postoperative pain, does not – and should not – require use of narcotics for pain management,” Dr. Badia says. “Today, we have many proven, opioid-sparing options, including minimally invasive operative techniques and pre- and post-surgical uses of advanced nerve-blocking agents and long-lasting local anesthetics like EXPAREL® to resolve both pain and inflammation at the surgical site for at least the first 72 hours following surgery – when postoperative pain is the most acute.”

Other opioid-sparing alternatives are explored in an educational report for pharmacists, entitled “Multimodal Analgesia in Orthopedic Surgery.” The report advises that use of two or more medications “with different mechanisms of action” during surgery can have an “additive analgesic effect,” obviating the need for opioids to quell postoperative pain.

Dr. Badia uses Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols as part of his practice to reduce reliance on opioids for pain management. ERAS are designed to improve a patient’s overall surgical experience, including eliminating narcotic prescriptions after surgery.

A recent study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine determined that ERAS decreased patient opioid use one month postoperatively following elective spine and peripheral nerve surgeries, Dr. Badia says.

He emphasizes, however, that any equation for stemming the opioid epidemic must also include patient education.

As an example, he cites a 2018 Johns Hopkins Medicine study in Anesthesia & Analgesia where authors report only “a very small percentage” of patients are choosing to use common, readily available anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to avoid sole reliance on opioids for pain control. Patients surveyed for the study had undergone orthopedic surgery, specifically spine and joint surgery.

Other research has associated use of opioid-sparing anesthesia during surgery with lower morbidity and mortality rates, Dr. Badia says.

He offers patients these tips:

• Before undergoing surgery, ask your doctor about opioid-sparing alternatives to manage pain.
• Change your mindset. Narcotics are not the only option for maintaining comfort. Lower-cost, over-the-counter medications can prove just as effective, particularly if used in a combined, synergistic mode.
• Follow prescriptions exactly. If you still experience pain when the prescription is ended, seek your doctor’s advice about next steps.

Heed your doctor’s or pharmacist’s instructions regarding proper disposal of leftover opioid pills. Don’t store them for “possible future use.”

Bio: Alejandro Badia, MD, FACS, internationally renowned hand and upper-limb surgeon and founder of Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and OrthoNOW®, a walk-in orthopedic care clinic. He is a member the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Association for Hand Surgery and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He is a specialist in treating all problems related to the hand and upper extremity including trauma, sports injury, joint reconstruction, nerve injuries and arthroscopic surgeries. http://www.OrthoNOWcare.com and http://www.drbadia.com.

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Sarah T. Davis, Certified Recovery Coach

“We are in the midst of a global addiction and alcoholism epidemic. The health, social and economic consequences are staggering. There is also a secondary epidemic occurring and that is what happens when the drink or drug of choice is put down.”

VAIL, Colo. (PRWEB)
August 14, 2019

Sarah T. Davis, Certified Recovery Coach and Founder of the Healthy Wealthy and Sober Movement is launching a challenge to all people in addiction and alcoholism recovery. She is inviting them to transform their personal and professional lives and take their health, wealth and spirits to the next level.

Sarah has personally been in daily recovery practice for over 13 years from food and alcohol addiction, co-dependency, trauma, depression, anxiety and survived a suicide attempt under the influence.

She started the Healthy Wealthy and Sober Movement for 2 reasons. The first, to help others facing obstacles, similar to her own in recovery life. Secondly, as a way to honor life lessons learned from her mother’s early death at age 40, in a random workplace shooting. Sarah knows first-hand that life is too short.

At http://healthywealthyandsober.com, Sarah teaches an exclusive, free video masterclass, “How to Live Your Best Life in Recovery from Addiction, Alcoholism or Problem Drinking…Without Spending a Fortune on Rehab or Years in Therapy” where she introduces Rock Your Recovery University, the premier, holistic recovery online course.

Sarah says, “we are in the midst of a global addiction and alcoholism epidemic. The health, social and economic consequences are staggering. There is also a secondary epidemic occurring and that is what happens when the drink or drug of choice is put down.”

• 
  Confusion, boredom, misery and depression are common symptoms among those in recovery, whether it’s been one day or thirty years clean and sober.
• Addiction and Alcoholism affect all areas of life, therefore recovery has to address all areas of life as well, holistic recovery.
• Mainstream programs don’t help with all areas of life, resulting in depressingly low success rates.
• Rock Your Recovery University is effective because it helps with areas such as stress management, exercise and nutrition, life purpose, fun and recreation, changing careers and money mindset.

Sarah is challenging 2,019 people in 2019 to graduate from Rock Your Recovery University. She believes, “we owe it to ourselves, those closest to us and our global community to live our best lives. It’s time to get rid of the confusion, boredom, misery and depression that can accompany life in recovery and be our best selves.”

Sarah T Davis, Certified Recovery Coach, founded the Healthy Wealthy and Sober Movement to transform the Personal and Professional lives of people in Addiction and Alcoholism recovery with courses, coaching, tools, exclusive blog posts and newsletters, support, inspiration and motivation. She also created the global, online holistic recovery course, Rock Your Recovery University.

Sarah can be reached at Sarah(at)healthywealthyandsober(dot)com.

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