Campbell Business School and the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine hosted its fourth annual Health Solutions Event at the medical school campus on April 12. The event focused on the impact of and response to the ever-growing opioid epidemic, with particular emphasis on the fallout in North Carolina.
“We propose an exploratory model based on the Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz text,” said Campbell Business Associate Professor and Director of Healthcare Management LeJon Poole. “The H(eart) B(rain) C(ourage) model takes a holistic approach to the crisis. The Heart (H) of those tasked with mitigating many of the symptoms of the abuse must involve their (B)rains to balance the human impact of the abuse with evidence-based approaches to preventing the abuse. The (C)ourage of stakeholders to advocate for the most vulnerable is the final piece of the exploratory HBC model to combat Opioid abuse.”
Titled “Lessons from the Wizard of Oz: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Opioid Intervention,” the event aimed to provide the community and university students with information, ideas, and approaches related to the impact of and solutions to the opioid crisis. The disastrous effects of the opioid epidemic have levied significant fiscal ramifications on healthcare organizations, patients, providers, pharmaceutical companies, and numerous stakeholders and communities.
The event featured a distinguished panel discussing the subject, as well as a keynote address from Relias Institute Translation Neuroscience Strategist Dr. Carol Clayton. Panelists included John Rouse (Director, Harnett County Health Department), Sheriff Wayne Coats (Harnett County), Janet Johnson RN, NCSN (Lead Nurse, Harnett County Schools), and veteran Steven Walther (CEO, Continuous Precision Medicine). The panel discussion was moderated by Campbell Medicine Department of Psychiatry Chair Dr. Hal Elliott.