Soaring Drug Overdose Mortalities Prompt Experts to Evaluate Tactics for Slowing the Surge

The University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence is set to host a three-day summit titled "Taking Action: National Rural Substance Use Disorder Health Equity and Stigma" from May 18-20 at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

This significant event, which is free of cost and open to the public, will bring together individuals from various walks of life, including those with lived experience of Substance Use Disorder (SUD), artists, authors, providers, researchers, policymakers, and advocates.

Notable keynote speakers include Beth Macy, author of the best-selling book Dopesick (now a Hulu series), Tony Hoffman, former BMX Elite Pro and Olympic coach, Uché Blackstock, M.D., whose organization Advancing Health Equity is working to dismantle racism in health care, Leonard Buschel, director of the REEL Recovery Film Festival, Peter Gaumond and Robert Kent of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Sam Quinones, author of the award-winning book Dreamland and The Least of Us.

The summit aims to address the opioid crisis in rural communities and overcome stigma and health inequity that have increased barriers to recovery from SUD. The University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence has been at the forefront of this fight, implementing a model called the Ecosystem of Recovery in rural Appalachian New York, which broadens access to and community-wide support for best practices in opioid use disorder treatment.

The HRSA RCORP RCOE program, which supports the University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence, is funded by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). It is worth noting that 0% of the program's funding for the University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence comes from non-governmental sources.

The University of Rochester Recovery Center of Excellence has also received a $12.3 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. This grant has enabled the centre to disseminate 12 best practices for reducing morbidity and mortality related to SUD, with a focus on synthetic opioids, to rural Appalachian communities.

Continuing education credits will be offered for the hybrid summit, which will be hosted both in-person and online. The contents of the summit do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS, or the US Government.

According to Gloria J. Baciewicz, M.D., professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the summit is particularly important as the country faces the "fourth wave" of the opioid epidemic, which is being driven by the use of deadly synthetic opioids, stimulants, and the use of multiple substances in combination.

Michele Lawrence, M.B.A., M.P.H, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is a co-principal investigator of the UR Recovery Center of Excellence and has spoken about the need to recognize and understand how stigma and inequity act as obstacles to change.

The summit promises to be a pivotal event in the fight against SUD in rural communities, offering a unique opportunity for collaboration and knowledge-sharing among a diverse group of individuals committed to making a difference.

Soaring Drug Overdose Mortalities Prompt Experts to Evaluate Tactics for Slowing the Surge