Ohio is referred to as “ground zero” of the opioid epidemic for a reason. However, there are tools and support available to those who are ready to defeat their addiction-- and Matthew Hawkins is someone who utilized those resources to their fullest extent. He found his way into the MetroHealth community by way of pursuing treatment for his opioid use disorder. After a long struggle, Matthew was able to obtain his goal of sobriety with the help of MetroHealth.

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The opioid overdose numbers emerging today prove that the Covid-19 pandemic has incurred huge damage to our community in more ways that what’s obvious. Though the death toll is beyond sobering, it’s moving the Office of Opioid Safety at MetroHealth to double down on their mission with an even deeper sense of urgency. The Education team in particular has been working hard to adapt their educational content to the times.

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MetroHealth houses a robust network of trauma-informed social workers, patient advocates, and peer supporters available to those in the community pursuing recovery from opioid dependency. No matter what stage of the process a patient is in— including immediately post-overdose, mid-incarceration, or in the most challenges stages of early sobriety, MetroHealth and Thrive Peer Support have a plan in place. 

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Today, we’ll be diving into the relatively new field of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery, or ERAS. The mindful curation of a patient’s recovery process after surgery is one of the most proactive steps a hospital system can take in preventing opioid dependence in its patients.

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A large part of managing the opioid epidemic is the responsibility of those working in the emergency department. Having the proper tools and resources available in these high-pressure situations is integral to saving lives and helping folks begin their journey towards recovery.

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In the world of safer opioid prescribing and pain management, innovative strategies for the facilitation of healing are a necessity. MetroHealth’s Pain and Healing Center, led in part by today’s guest, Dr. Chong Kim, was created to suit the vision of a holistic approach to managing a patient’s pain while minimizing opioid use.

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The workflows of doctors and pharmacists are encouraged to intertwine in order to create the highest quality of care for a patient and highest level of opioid safety possible. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Mike Harrington, the director of palliative care clinical services here at MetroHealth, and Amanda Benedetti Pharm.D, pharmacy specialist in pain management and opioid stewardship in the Office of Opioid Safety.

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Peer review is an interpersonally and practically impactful tool for creating meaningful change in the practice of prescribers, especially when it comes to those working with populations facing chronic pain. Dr. Joan Papp, medical director of the Office of Opioid Safety at MetroHealth, talks us trough the process of providing peer evaluations to those caregivers whose prescribing numbers may seem high.

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MetroHealth has a comprehensive system of dashboards and tools within their electronic health record to aid providers in making informed choices when it comes to prescribing for their patients. In this episode, we examine these tools as a case study in what hospital systems can do to increase ease of safer prescribing measures in the everyday practices of doctors. 

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Opioids are a highly addictive substance central to the lives of many Americans, and in turn, can quickly escalate the emotional stakes of doctor-patient interactions. The way that caregivers navigate these sometimes-volatile encounters can make a huge difference in the road to a given patient’s recovery. MetroHeath’s Dr. Bob Smith explains his deeply humanistic and empathy-based approach in his practice, aiming to guide his patients into seeing the personal wins inherent in recovery. 

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