Browse recent news and announcements about upcoming events of interest.
National News: Yale Scholars Tackle Opioid Crisis in Groundbreaking Journal Issue
More than two dozen Yale professors, doctors, and students have published a series of groundbreaking articles on the opioid crisis in the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. The special issue is notable for tackling the opioid epidemic from a variety of angles — including health law, criminal law, addiction science, and social justice and race. It features prominent voices from across Yale University, including Yale Law School, the Yale School of Medicine, the Yale School of Public Health, and the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Read more, view the table of contents, and read the issue here.
Upcoming Event: Bloomington Science Cafe with Dr. Natalia Murataeva (April 25, 2018)
Tens of thousands of Americans are dying of opioid overdose each year. Dr. Natalia Murataeva will discuss the science of opiates, opiate addiction, and why they are so deadly. The Bloomington Science Cafe will meet in the back room of Bear's Place (1316 E. 3rd St.) at 6:30pm and is free and open to anyone (21 and over). Read more on the Bloomington Science Cafe's Facebook page.
New episodes: The Week In Health Law (Episodes 136 and 137)
The Week In Health Law podcast partnered with the Northeastern University School of Law's “Diseases of Despair: The Role of Policy and Law” conference for two special episodes: one on public health aspects (Episode 136) and one on healthcare law and policy (Episode 137). Read more and listen to the podcasts on the TWIHL website.
Indiana News: New Program Provides Opioid Education for Doctors (April 4, 2018)
The Indiana State Medical Association and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation announced the first statewide program to teach physicians best practices for prescribing opioids. State law now requires prescribers to receive opioid prescription training every two years. The Indiana State Medical Association will develop an app to help them do this. Read more at Indiana Public Media.
Upcoming Event: "The Opioid Crisis and IU: Data, Impacts, and Solutions" (April 14, 2018)
The Health Policy Graduate Association at the School of Public Environmental Affairs welcomes you to a panel discussion of the impact of the opioid crisis on Indiana University. Bringing together experts from academia and the field, this event will focus on the impact opioids have had on the student population as well as reform efforts to address collective and individual harm reduction, criminal justice, and prevention. The issues discussed will range from the data on opioid related harms to the barriers to getting treatment to those in need. A hackathon coordinated with the Data Science Club will utilize drug testing data and visualization. Impact of the opioid crisis on students Mental health services, impacts of overdose, and the “frontline” of the crisis in Indiana Pragmatic solutions - getting individuals help, addressing the factors that lead to addiction, harm reduction, criminal justice - Criminal justice issues and reform View the event flyer, and check back for more details soon.
Join Side Effects Public Media for a discussion exploring the impact of 2015's HIV outbreak in Scott County on public health in Indiana. What actions took place three years ago, and what has changed statewide since? Are Hoosier communities taking those lessons to heart? Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., program at 9:00 a.m, at the Indiana Landmarks Center (1201 Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46202). The morning will begin with keynote remarks, followed by a panel discussion. The panel will focus on access to addiction treatment, harm reduction, and prevention at grade school level. Audience questions will be welcomed following the panel. Speakers: Brittany Combs, Public Health Nurse, Scott County Health Department Dr. Jennifer Walthall, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Panelists: Tonja Eagan, M.P.A., ,CEO, Social Health Association of Indiana Carrie Ann Lawrence, Ph.D., Associate Director, Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention Dennis Watson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health The panel will be moderated by Jake Harper, Health Reporter, WFYI Register to attend at Eventbrite
Scientists and community leaders will explore issues related to opioids and addiction at this year’s Indiana CTSI Bloomington Retreat on April 25 on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. The event, titled “Science as a Solution to Indiana’s Opioid Crisis,” will feature lectures by top researchers and government officials, as well as valuable opportunities to network with investigators from across the state and to learn more about research resources and services available through the Indiana CTSI. Keynote speakers include Kristina Box, MD (Indiana State Health Commissioner), Joshua Sharfstein, MD (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), Diana Martinez, MD (Columbia University Irving Medical Center), and Wilson Compton, MD (National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health). The Indiana CTSI Bloomington Retreat is free and open to the public. You can view the full agenda online, and register by April 18 to reserve your spot.
The 2nd Annual South Central Opioid Summit will be held on Tuesday, September 18 and Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at the Monroe Convention Center in Bloomington, Indiana. The summit is designed to focus on people who have lived experience with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), their lives and their family’s lives. It also focuses on legislative issues, harm reduction, the broad spectrum of treatment options, personal stories, families and the criminal justice system. This year's theme is "Year of Action: Working Together to End the Epidemic." Tickets are available, and proposals from those interested in speaking at the summit are due by June 1, 2018. Read more about the event, including the Call for Proposals, and register to attend here.
Local news: Opioid crisis reflected in child abuse, neglect cases
The number of children living with abuse or neglect in Monroe County has increased over the past few years because of the opioid crisis. From 2015 to 2016, the number of Monroe County children in need of services from the Department of Child Services increased by 87 percent — a spike from 201 to 376 in just one year, according to the Indiana Youth Institute's 2018 Kids Count Data Book. By the end of 2017, the number jumped to 459, according to a DCS report. Read more in the Herald Times Online.
Upcoming Events: Indiana Recovery Alliance Harm Reduction Workshops
The Indiana Recovery Alliance (IRA) provides non-judgmental, participatory, and colalborative harm reduction. On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, Wednesday, March 28, 2018, and Thursday, March 29, 2018, IRA will hold a series of harm reduction workshops, including workshops on integrating harm reduction with case management and substance use treatment, outreach and engagement strategies, understanding drug-related stigma, and overdose reversal training and naloxone distribution. See the schedule of workshops and register to attend on the IRA website.
Indiana News: Opioid Overdoses May Be Seriously Undercounted
In a refrigerator in the coroner’s office in Marion County, Indiana, rows of vials await testing. They contain blood, urine and vitreous, the fluid collected from inside a human eye. In overdose cases, the fluids may contain clues for investigators. “We send that off to a toxicology lab to be tested for what we call drugs of abuse,” said deputy coroner Alfie Ballew. The results often include drugs such as cocaine, heroin, fentanyl or prescription pharmaceuticals. After testing, coroners typically write the drugs involved in an overdose on the death certificate — but not always. Standards for how to investigate and report on overdoses vary widely across states and counties and as a result, opioid overdose deaths are not always captured in the data reported to the federal government. The country is undercounting opioid-related overdoses by 20 to 35 percent, according to a recent study. Read more or listen at Side Effects.
Linking people with substance use disorders to the treatment they need to kick their addiction has just become easier in Indiana. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Thursday announced a new partnership with a software platform that can help social workers find openings at treatment facilities. The partnership, funded by money from the 21st Century Cures Act, also includes Indiana 2-1-1, a local non-profit that helps provides referrals for a variety of social services. Read more about FSSA and Open Beds from IndyStar.
The 2018 Annual Health Law Conference will be held April 12-13, 2018 at Northeastern University. The conference will bring together experts, policymakers, and academics to discuss the causes behind health trends including so-called "deaths of despair" (including death from chronic substance abuse and overdoses), and to explore potential political, policy, and legal responses for addressing broader determinants that affect the physical and mental health of Americans dying from these diseases of despair. The conference will also explore similar patterns among diverse populations, as well as continuing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities. Visit the conference website to view the full agenda and roster of speakers, including IU's own Nicolas P. Terry, Hall Render Professor of Law and Executive Director of the William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
National news: House panel to examine 25 opioid bills next week
The House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to consider 25 bills aimed at combating the opioid crisis during a two-day legislative hearing next week. The panel is working to hammer out a series of bipartisan bills with the goal of getting legislation to the House floor by Memorial Day. The hearing next week focuses on an array of public health and prevention measures aimed at stemming an opioid crisis that shows no signs of abating. Read more at The Hill.
Upcoming Event: NIHCM Webinar: "The Opioid Crisis: Treating Addiction and Saving Lives"
On Monday, March 19, 2018, 1-2:30pm, part two of NIHCM's opioid webinar series will explore ways to expand the use of evidence-based treatment. Read more and register on the NIHCM website
Jennifer Walthall, Indiana University School of Medicine professor and secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, will offer keynote remarks during the inaugural Opioid Management Summit on Feb. 27 in Washington, D.C. Faith Kirkham Hawkins, IU associate vice president for research development and strategic initiatives, will join a panel discussion about improving treatment programs for rural and vulnerable populations. Read more at News at IU.
IU News: From the Desk: Robin Newhouse says IU is committed to addressing the addictions crisis
Indiana is one of four states where the fatal drug overdose rate has more than quadrupled since 1999. Hoosiers are now more likely to die from a drug overdose than a car accident. According to the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, the total cost of drug overdoses in Indiana tops $1 billion annually, measured in medical expenses and lifetime earnings losses. Indiana is not alone in this crisis. In 2016, more people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. than the total number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. Read more at News at IU.
IU News: Indiana University launches Phase One projects for statewide addictions initiative
Indiana University School of Nursing Dean and Distinguished Professor Robin Newhouse has announced the Phase One projects of the Responding to the Addictions Crisis Grand Challenges initiative. As part of IU's $50 million commitment to prevent, reduce and treat addictions in Indiana, initial pilot grants feature collaborative teams of faculty members, researchers, community organizations and cross-sector partners. Together, the projects will address all five focus areas of the statewide initiative: ground-level data collection and analysis; training and education; policy analysis and development; addictions science; and community and workforce development. Read more at News at IU.
Indiana News: Lawmakers Move On Bill Requiring Mandatory Drug Database Checks (January 18, 2018)
The Senate Health and Provider Services Committee on Wednesday threw its support behind a bill that would require Indiana physicians to check the state prescription database — called INSPECT— before prescribing powerful drugs, including opioids. Fourteen states currently require both physicians and pharmacists to check someone’s drug history, but Indiana isn’t one of them. The INSPECT database, which contains information about a patient’s past prescriptions from all providers, allows doctors and pharmacists to check a patient’s drug history with the hopes of preventing over-prescribing and drug-seeking behavior such as doctor shopping. The state has started integrating INSPECT into electronic health records, reducing a system that took precious minutes to seconds. The change made it easier to check the system, but the practice is still optional. The new bill, authored by Sen. Erin Houchin (R-Salem), has earned a thumbs-up from the Indiana Hospital Association, the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, State Health Commissioner Kristina Box and Gov. Eric Holcomb’s office. Read more at Indiana Public Media.
IU News: Indiana University issues statement on opioid crisis being declared public health emergency
Indiana University Vice President for Research Fred C. Cate has issued the following statement regarding the Trump administration’s decision to declare our national opioid crisis a public health emergency. Cate also administers IU’s $50 million Grand Challenges initiative, Responding to the Addictions Crisis. “As an institution committed to preventing and reducing addictions in Indiana and beyond, we are encouraged to see the Trump administration taking steps to address our national opioid crisis. We are hopeful that the administration’s actions will allow our state and others greater flexibility to access federal funds as needed. Read more at News at IU.
Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie has announced IU's commitment to invest $50 million to collaborate with community partners to prevent and reduce addictions in Indiana. Announced alongside Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy, the initiative -- Responding to the Addictions Crisis -- is part of IU's bicentennial Grand Challenges Program. Utilizing IU's seven campuses across the state, and in partnership with state officials, IU Health, Eskenazi Health and others, this statewide initiative is one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive state-based responses to the opioid addiction crisis -- and the largest led by a university. Read more at News at IU.
IU News: IU, state leaders to announce major initiative on opioid addiction crisis
Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie, alongside Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy, will announce a major collaboration and comprehensive response to the state's addiction crisis at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 10 at the Indiana Statehouse. The initiative, which will engage the geographically diverse resources of IU's seven campuses and in partnership with state officials, IU Health and Eskenazi Health, is the third initiative of the IU Grand Challenges Program, a $300 million initiative to develop transformative solutions for the world's most pressing problems. Read more at News at IU.