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Greg interviews Dr. Sandra Block, a Medical Director of the Adult Pediatric Sleep Center in Buffalo Medical Group in Buffalo, New York and the author of What the Opioid Epidemic Looks Like on the Screen of a Brain Scan. Dr. Block has been practicing neurology for 20 years and recently noticed a difference in the EEGs coinciding with the rise of the opioid epidemic.

Listen to the podcast to discover what causes these changes in the brain and if they can be reversed for patients who have suffered an overdose.

Greg interviews Dr. Scott Weiner, the Attending Emergency Physician and Director of B-CORE at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts . Dr. Weiner started B-CORE, short for Brigham Comprehensive Response and Education program, with the aim of creating an umbrella and uniform standard for the treatment of substance use disorder within the hospital.

Listen to the podcast to discover some of the future initiatives Dr. Weiner and B-CORE hope to put in place - like prescriber benchmarking and a Bridge Clinic where people can go even without an appointment to get started on the road to longer term treatment.

Greg interviews Dr. Ann DiFrangia, a board certified physician, specializing in the treatment of substance use disorder with Akron General Hospital. Since 2011, Dr. DiFrangia has seen a rise in neo-natal mortality rates, an increase in disabilities due to infection, and sky-rocketing death rates because of the opioid epidemic sweeping Ohio.

Listen to the podcast to discover what Dr. DiFrangia has discovered to be the most successful treatments for those suffering from substance use disorder.

Greg interviews Mike DeWine, the Attorney General of Ohio and staff members Alisha Nelson, Community Outreach Specialist and LeeAnne Cornyn, the director of the Children’s Initiative . In 2016 alone, 4,050 Ohio residents died as a result of unintentional drug overdoses - a 32.8% increase from 2015. Attorney General Mike DeWine has developed a 12 point plan titled Recovery Ohio in the hopes of decreasing these ever-growing numbers.

Listen to the podcast to discover how this plan and the other points in Recovery Ohio are working towards a fully coordinated system to provide aid to those affected by the opioid epidemic.

Greg interviews Nan Whaley, the Mayor of the City of Dayton, Ohio. Out of the top 10 cities in the U.S. marred by the opioid epidemic, three are in Ohio and one of the top ones is Dayton. Since her election, Mayor Whaley has worked to aggressively combat the crisis sweeping the state and affecting her community.

Listen to the podcast to discover how the City of Dayton has also filed a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical companies responsible for the spread of opiates throughout the community

Greg interviews Rebecca Crowder, the Executive Director of Lily’s Place. Lily’s Place is a Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) facility that provides observational, therapeutic, and pharmalogical care to infants affected by prenatal drug usage.

Listen to the podcast to discover how Rebecca’s local community has started mandatory drug screening for every mother entering the hospital to give birth. And how this paired with an NAS facility like Lily’s Place is helping both infants and parents alike.

Greg continues his interview with Freddy Negrete, world renowned tattoo artist, Hollywood studio artist, and the co-author of Smile Now, Cry Later – an autobiography, co-authored with Steve Jones, about growing up in L.A. and the draw as a child towards both the empowerment of tattoos and the belonging that came with joining a gang.

Listen to the podcast to discover how this arrest coupled with the continued complications from his Congestive Heart Failure led Freddy to make a permanent change and push for treatment.

Greg interviews Freddy Negrete, a Hollywood studio artist and the co-author of Smile Now, Cry Later – an autobiography he wrote with his good friend Steve Jones about growing up in L.A. and the draw as a child towards both the empowerment of tattoos, but the belonging that came with joining a gang.

Listen to the podcast to discover how Freddy moved on from this experience into more serious substance abuse and then back out again.

Greg interviews Ilene Shapiro, the County Executive of Summit County. In October, Ilene declared a state of emergency over the opioid epidemic, enabling the utilization of the Emergency Operations Command Center in downtown Akron to serve as a communication and coordination hub.

Listen to the podcast to discover how this state of emergency declaration has led to a lot of changes in Summit County that have allowed Ilene and her team to better utilize resources to help those suffering from substance use disorder.

Greg continues his interview with Clay Stamp, the Executive Director of the Opioid Operational Command Center in Maryland. Established under the Interagency Heroin and Opioid Coordinating Council in January 2017, the Opioid Operational Command Center works to collect, analyze, and facilitate data-sharing with State and local sources to create better strategies in their fight against the opioid epidemic.

Listen to the podcast to discover how Maryland’s position on the opioid epidemic as a public health crisis is not only allowing them to create better treatment centers, but to better address the laws holding those who have suffered from substance use disorder back.