College of Medicine to host conference about opioid epidemic


cmlife

Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine will hold a forum to discuss the opioid crisis in Michigan and alternative pain management solutions. 

The “Opioid Crisis and Pain Management Forum 2018” will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 at the Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw. 

“In 2016, 22,356 people died of drug overdoses in Michigan,” said College of Medicine faculty member Joan Ford. “That is more deaths than by car accident.” 

A range of speakers will be presenting at the forum to address the scope of the opioid crisis in the Michigan area and to help those attending understand addiction and substance abuse, recovery options and community solutions. 

District Judge Linda Davis from Macomb County will give a personal testimony about her daughter who became addicted to cocaine at 19, as well as discussing community response to the opioid crisis. 

“Judge Davis, because of her daughter, she fought back against that (opioid addiction),” said Ford. “She said ‘that wasn’t even supposed to happen to us; I’m a judge.’” 

Davis started two organizations: Families Against Narcotics and Hope not Handcuffs because of her daughter, and hopes to help those who face addiction, said Ford. 

Dr. Carl Christensen, professor of psychiatry and OB-GYN at Wayne State University School of Medicine, will talk about the opioid crisis and pain management for pregnant, addicted women. Christensen will touch on medication-assisted treatment as a solution for those women and all who face the opioid crisis. 

Pain management specialist Ryan Bearer will discuss handling acute and chronic pain management. 

College of Medicine faculty member Juliette Perzhinsky will explain the importance of providing interprofessional education during the era of the opioid epidemic. 

Michael Collins, owner and president of Compounding Pharmacy of St. Charles and Saginaw, will talk about non-opioid pain therapies like compound pain formulation as a solution to the epidemic. 

This conference is important “to find out how widespread the opioid crisis is in Central Michigan and how that affects your life,” said Ford.

Registering in advance is highly encouraged. Attendance is free and breakfast will be provided.

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