MONTHLY NEWS AND UPDATES
May 28, 2019
IN THIS ISSUE

  •  New Dashboard Shows IEOCC Achievements
  • Sign up for June 18 Town Hall Meeting
  • Member of the Month: MAT Champion Dr. Louis Tran, ARMC
  • St. Mary ED Bridge in the News
  • Quick Tip: Easy Access to CURES
  •  Funding: SAMHSA Training Grants
  • Things You Can Do to Help
  •  IEOCC Workgroups and Meetings

New Dashboard Shows IEOCC Achievements
The IEOCC is excited to announce a new dashboard that shows the goals, strategies, and progress of the coalition workgroups. The revised dashboard provides a more cohesive, engaging and accessible depiction of the workgroups’ activities, and it has been updated to include opioid impact data and specific ways members can help. View the new dashboard at the bottom of the newsletter.
Sign up for June 18 Town Hall Meeting
Click here to RSVP
Member of the Month: Dr. Louis Tran, emergency physician at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) 
“I am the point man in the emergency department for our ED Bridge program. ED Bridge is my first foray into Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT). I am one of those physicians who used to consider opioid addiction a test of will: ‘If you don’t like it, just quit.’ I saw opioid withdrawal as safe, miserable but medically safe compared to alcohol or benzodiazepines. I did not believe in methadone or opiate-based withdrawal programs.
 
“I had a change of mindset as I further investigated the problem. It’s a lot more than just saying ‘This guy is weak.’ I found online forums for people with opioid use disorder (OUD). I read their comments about their experiences with addiction and their success with buprenorphine and suboxone. These people are helping each other and they are getting better together.
 
“OUD changes the chemistry of the brain. Like any other disorder, it requires constant treatment, to fight the urge to use and also to fight the fear of withdrawal. MAT is the best way is to give patients the best opportunity to have a productive life despite having a disorder.
 
“Our ED Bridge program is new and growing, with our ED Navigator Wendy Martinez and leadership across the hospital including Dr. Carol Lee, Dr. Edward Pillar, Dr. Rodney Borger and Dr. Andrew Lowe. The main problem now is the lack of community providers of MAT to refer to. I have induced people in the ED, and was able to connect one patient to ongoing MAT so far. In the hospital, our maternity department has successfully connected new mothers to MAT with their short-term case management services. We are ready to do much more for our patients and the community.”
St. Mary ED Bridge in the News
Another of the three Inland Empire ED Bridge programs, at St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, was featured in the Victor Valley News, heavily quoting IEOCC steering committee member, Dr. Michael Sequeira.
Read it here
Quick Tip: In-EHR Access to CURES
Many IEOCC member organizations, including Kaiser Permanente and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, have a link within their electronic health records (EHR) system to save providers’ time and effort in accessing the CURES database. This simple move is a provider-pleaser and increases the likelihood that providers will meet the new legal requirement to check this database when prescribing opioids.

One physician leader said, “Yes, we did that in our EHR, but nobody knows it’s there. We need to tell providers.”

Do you have this provider-pleasing shortcut? If so, do all providers know about it? 
Funding: SAMHSA Training Grants 
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is offering two different training grants, with applications due on June 7th. 

●     Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Grants provide funding to develop training for rural communities on addressing opioid issues. Grantees will facilitate the identification of model programs, develop opioid use disorder materials, and ensure high-quality training. More information and how to apply can be found here .

●     Provider’s Clinical Support System – Universities Grants aim to expand access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services. The program’s focus is to ensure medical students fulfill the training requirements needed to obtain a DATA waiver to prescribe MAT in office-based settings. More information and how to apply can be found here .
Things You Can Do to Help
1. Send names of MAT providers willing to consult with new MAT providers to our Access Workgroup through JR Garcia: Garcia-F@iehp.org

2. Invite professional stakeholders to the IEOCC in-person meeting, next on June 11th, 2 - 4pm at Inland Empire Health Plan’s main office in Rancho Cucamonga.

3. Newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up so you don’t miss any future issues. 
IEOCC Workgroups: Join one to collaborate on specific goals to end the crisis

Access to Treatment • Education & Engagement 
Safe Prescribing • Prevention & Public Agencies
Email Joshua Crouch, crouch-J@iehp.org , to learn more.
IEOCC Quarterly Coalition Meetings

Tuesday June 11, 2pm - 4pm
Inland Empire Health Plan, 10801 Sixth Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA or join online
 
One focus for June: Best Practices in Harm Reduction
 
Learn more about the IEOCC and its mission and vision on our website.
ABOUT THE IEOCC
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Vision:  To reduce opioid use and opioid related deaths in the Inland Empire.

Mission:  The Inland Empire Opioid Crisis Coalition (IEOCC) creates effective community collaborations between member organizations and individuals who need help with pain management and addictive disorders. The coalition employs the values and techniques of harm reduction and integrated care.

IEOCC will ensure the following changes occur in their communities:

  • Education and engagement with service providers and community members.

  • Safer prescribing practices for opioid medications.

  • Increased use of medication-assisted addiction treatment (MAT), as part of a comprehensive system of integrated behavioral health care.

  • Increased availability and use of the overdose reversal drug Naloxone.
IEOCC DASHBOARD


Thank you for your support in working together to improve the quality of life in the Inland Empire!