91制片厂

Four years ago, if you had asked Dr. Thomas Sherman, a practicing gastroenterologist and a representative in the New Hampshire Legislature, if he鈥檇 eventually have a part in fighting the opioid crisis in the state, he would have said no.

But for Sherman and many others in the Granite State, that changed rapidly.

Everyone has a role to play in stemming the tide of drug addiction, and the best way to combat addiction is through a collaborative, community-based response.

That was Sherman鈥檚 message for students, clinicians and other attendees at the 鈥檚 annual clinical symposium on Tuesday, Aug. 23. Titled 鈥淪potlight on the Opioid Crisis,鈥� the symposium brought together healthcare providers, community leaders and university students and faculty for a daylong discussion on how to treat opioid addiction in the Granite State.

鈥淚 want you to think about what your next step is 鈥� personally and professionally 鈥� in your neighborhood, in your family and in your practice, to start working on the opioid crisis,鈥� Sherman said during his keynote address.

The symposium was the latest step in the nursing department鈥檚 efforts to combat opioid addiction.

鈥淲e should have a central role in educating our nurses and nurse practitioners to get involved in finding solutions for the opioid crisis,鈥� said Donna Pelletier, clinical associate professor of nursing and one of the event鈥檚 organizers.

The symposium听was the culmination of the department鈥檚 goal of addressing the opioid crisis across all of its programs during the 2015-2016 academic year, Pelletier said.

鈥淚t hits home with students and faculty. Everyone knows someone affected by addiction,鈥� she added.

State officials are projecting approximately 482 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2016, a 9-percent increase from 2015, Sherman told attendees.

鈥淓very county in the state has a problem 鈥� and everybody is involved,鈥� he said.

And that means there are plenty of roles to fill. Sherman talked about the opioid crisis from his perspective as a practicing physician and lawmaker. The state is making strides, Sherman said, pointing to recent pieces of legislation that have made it easier for people to receive treatment for substance abuse, strengthened the state鈥檚 Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and increased access to Narcan, a drug that counteracts the effects of an opioid overdose.

Plenty of policy work remains, according to Sherman. While the New Hampshire Health Protection Program has increased access to treatment for low-income residents, state funding and resources remain scarce.

鈥淚n New Hampshire, we鈥檙e ranked 49th in the nation in terms of people who need treatment actually receiving it and 49th in funding, and we鈥檙e ranked third for rates of addiction and overdoses,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e at the top where we shouldn鈥檛 be and at the bottom where we shouldn鈥檛 be.鈥�

Reversing that means changing attitudes about addiction, and during the symposium, Robert Mair, professor of psychology, presented an overview on the neuroscience behind addiction that examined the complex changes that occur once addiction takes hold.

According to the nursing department鈥檚 Pelletier, discussions about science and health policy are a complementary part of the department and the university鈥檚 mission. 鈥淲e want our students actively engaged in health policy,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e out in the community all the time, as are other programs at 91制片厂, and through grass-roots efforts and legislation, we鈥檙e really able to affect changes in health policy.鈥�

Grass-roots initiatives and community engagement were a prominent theme for the day.

Kathryn Davis of Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, Megan Baston of Elliot Hospital in Manchester and Jason Lucey of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover took part in an interdisciplinary panel on local responses to the opioid crisis. Lucey is involved in a number of addiction treatment initiatives on the Seacoast, including a pair of recovery centers set to open in Durham and Rochester.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take the whole village 鈥� we as healthcare providers need to step out of the exam room and start working with patients beyond those 15-minute visits,鈥� Lucey said.

That community spirit was on display as the symposium ended. The day鈥檚 final presentation was from nurse Kerry Norton, Dr. Colene Arnold and Abi Lizotte, who are working together to open Hope on Haven Hill, a recovery center based in Rochester that will help pregnant women with addiction. Hope on Haven Hill will open in October, Pelletier said.

By the end of the presentation, students and clinicians were 鈥渟igning up left and right to help out.鈥�

鈥淲e want our students to give back to the community, to use the knowledge they have,鈥� Pelletier said. 鈥淲e want to see that they鈥檙e out there and making a difference.鈥�