Baptist Memorial Health Care Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine and MississippiCare hosted the second annual Mississippi Opioid Summit on Friday, April 4 at the Oxford Conference Center. More than 150 addiction medicine, social services and law enforcement professionals attended the free educational event that covered opioid and screen addictions, as well as best practices to address these issues in Mississippi and throughout the United States.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch was one of the opening speakers for the event. She explained the scope of Mississippi’s fentanyl problem, sharing that more than 200 people died from fentanyl overdoses in Mississippi in 2023.
ARcare Chief Strategy Officer Joey Flowers presented opening remarks. She said, “Opioid addiction continues to be a threat for Mississippi. We think the best solution is a multitiered approach that brings together leaders and experts in the state who are dedicated to helping victims and developing a prevention strategy.”
Baptist Memorial Health Care Vice President/Chief Transformation Officer Derick Ziegler also shared opening remarks. He said, “Opioid addiction continues to be an important issue for Mississippi. This disease has a devastating effect on Mississippi communities, and Baptist’s Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine is working with medical, law enforcement and social services experts to provide meaningful solutions and treatment options.”
Carlton Hall, president and CEO of Carlton Hall Consulting LLC, gave the keynote address on prioritizing prevention. Mike Eiden, licensed clinical social worker and clinical alcohol and drug counselor, discussed screen addiction and its prevalence, symptoms and treatments. Other speakers included representatives from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and other professionals working in the addiction medicine sector.
Breakout sessions provided an opportunity for attendees to network and learn how to understand the role of health care providers in supporting individuals who use recreational drugs, reducing stigma around addiction and providing ongoing support and aftercare during recovery.
“Whether through policy change, expanded access to treatment, education or compassionate care, we each have a role to play in turning the tide of this crisis. The work doesn’t end here,” said Sierra Butler, project manager for Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine. “This is a call to keep pushing forward, to collaborate and to ensure that every person struggling with addiction has a path to hope and healing.”
Baptist Memorial Health Care and Integrated Addiction Care Associates (now Connections Wellness Group) formed the Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine in 2019 to provide immediate, comprehensive treatment for patients who present to Baptist with substance and alcohol use disorders. In 2022, Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine collaborated with MississippiCare to identify post-acute, follow-up care for patients with opioid use and/or alcohol use disorder in Mississippi. MississippiCare is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary care, behavioral health, nutrition services and a variety of additional services, including clinical pharmacy consults, to all individuals regardless of their ability to pay. Baptist and MississippiCare’s collaboration resulted in a Health Resources & Services Administration Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Medication Assisted Treatment access grant to increase access points to treatment and provide medications and supportive services to individuals with opioid use disorder and/or alcohol use disorder.
