In response to the opioid epidemic, which has increasingly become a focus for hospitals and communities across the United States, the Brookings Health System is hosting two free community Opioid Guardianship Forums at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Aug. 16 in the Brookings City & County Government Center. Education on the national opioid crisis and how it affects the Brookings area will be provided, along with a panel discussion on appropriate prescribing, addiction, treatment and relapse prevention, diversion prevention and medication disposal. There will be an opportunity for community members to ask questions.
Support for the opioid guardianship work that Brookings Health System is doing was provided by the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (IHC) Compass Hospital Improvement Innovation Network (HIIN), which is funded by a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) grant. Resources include more availability of naloxone, which reverses overdose, better access to mental health services and medication-assisted addiction treatment and physician participation in prescription monitoring services. Hospitals interested in starting opioid guardianship work in their community can contact Kristen Bunt at the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations for more information.
