Message from CHSA Leadership |
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Welcome to the August 2022 e-newsletter of Center for Health Systems Analytics at UTHealth Houston School of Biomedical Informatics. Our Center continues to serve community members in Texas, and we have now served more than 15,000 community members. Please visit our data dashboards to learn more about the areas that our programs have reached.
Our nationally recognized program, Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (HEROES), which was started in April 2018, has enrolled more than 1,000 patients. We are humbled that our team has been able to help so many patients in Houston on their path to recovery from substance use disorder, and we are also pleased to offer these services to the residents of Fort Bend, Galveston, and Montgomery counties.
Our Center continues to work proactively with various healthcare domains and specialties, and our collaborations are allowing us to develop and train workforce to achieve improved population health outcomes.
Our Center continues to operate the 24/7 Heroes Helpline, which provides free, confidential mental health telephone support and referral service for all first responders and healthcare workers in Texas, without fear of judgment, stigma or occupational threats. The Heroes Helpline is available to provide confidential mental health support, and the Heroes Helpline also has a virtual lobby where you can confidentially chat virtually from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.
During this year, please consider making a contribution to our Center’s work by donating here. Your generosity will allow us to continue reaching vulnerable populations and creating a healthy community.
Be well and stay safe!
James R. Langabeer, II, PhD, MBA, FAHA
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As we continue into year 3 of the COVID-19 global pandemic, it has become clear that this public health emergency has overshadowed another: the epidemic of drug overdose. Since 2019, the U.S. has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of drug overdose deaths from all illicit substances.
Just two weeks ago, the Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Dr. Rahul Gupta, issued a statement regarding the CDC’s release of provisional drug overdose death data. latest of which show 107,375 predicted overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending in January 2022.
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Data collected by the Center for Health Systems Analytics (CHSA) focuses on fatal overdose deaths in Texas, specifically opioid related deaths. As indicated in the image below, taken from our live dashboard, Texas has seen a sharp increase in opioid related deaths since 2019, a trend that shows little chance of changing unless we ramp up our efforts to curb this entirely preventable epidemic. |
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#InternationalOverdoseAwarenesDay |
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August 31st has been designated International Overdose day, an opportunity to educate the public on the multiple ways we can work together to reduce preventable overdose deaths in our country. To eliminate the epidemic of drug overdose, we must focus on prevention, treatment, and harm-reduction.
The Heroes program in Houston is proud to have actively implemented many of these strategies in providing holistic and sustainable recovery treatment. In addition, we have distributed over 200,000 doses of an overdose reversal drug, Naloxone, around Texas and we hope to continue providing additional harm-reductive solutions in our mission to Create Healthy Communities.
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- Reduce risk factors for substance use and use disorder. These can include health disparities, trauma, and adverse childhood events (ACEs)
- Increase public awareness of the prevalence and fatality of manufactured and other possibly fentanyl laced drugs
- Continue working to eliminate stigma around substance use disorder, in turn reducing obstacles treatment, harm-reduction and recovery support.
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Substance Use Disorder Treatment |
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- Help navigate people to the appropriate resources required to sustain a life in recovery.
- Recognize and reduce health disparities and cultural barriers that prevent people from accessing treatment services (i.e., medication for opioid use disorder)
- Foster cultural competence in treatment and support services to compliment cultural, spiritual, and other traditional approaches to recovery
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- Make overdose reversal medications available to community members and educate the public on its use and benefits
- Advocate for proven preventative harm-reduction measures, such as fentanyl test strips, needle exchange programs, an naloxone distribution
- Encourage expansion of same-day substance use treatment initiation
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WEAR PURPLE on AUGUST 31st!
#InternationalOverdoseAwarenessDay
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CHSA Event
Film Screening of Generation Found
August 31st, 2022
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Wed, Aug 31, 2022 5:00 PM CST
CHSA Film Screening: Generation Found
UT Brown Foundation Institute Of Molecular Medicine,
Houston
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Staff Spotlight
Yvonne Reed, LCDC, CCJP, MS
Counselor
Yvonne is one of the amazing HEROES Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselors. Yvonne holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience working in the criminal justice and community and social service settings. As a Certified Criminal Justice Professional, internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a state Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, she is a brilliantly informed and compassionate counselor that cares for each of her patients individually.
Yvonne is passionate about serving adults and adolescents struggling with substance abuse, co-occurring disorders and behavioral issues. Yvonne is skilled at establishing positive trusting rapport with patients, with a unique ability of connecting with patients. She motivates, encourages and supports patients to live healthier life styles, live independently and strive to reach their full potential.
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This course will introduce learners to fundamental principles involved in the development, diagnosis, experience and treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder.
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