On March 31, the Kentucky Statewide Opioid Stewardship (KYSOS) program hosted its first Opioid Summit. This one-day event highlighted best practices and community partnerships in an effort to improve opioid stewardship across Kentucky.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman presented the keynote address. AG Coleman spoke of the importance of community collaboration in fighting the opioid crisis. He also emphasized the importance of reaching Kentucky’s youth, with education and awareness of the dangers of illicit opioids.
The KYSOS ED Bridge team is pictured with ED Bridge Peer Support Specialists (left to right): KYSOS Consultant Mary Beth Ecken, Nikki Howard, Miranda Nelson, Chris Garrison, Sedayah Plappert, Jesse Faulkner, Bridgette Talley, and KYSOS Consultant Emily Henderson.
Peer Support Specialists with the KYSOS Emergency Department (ED) Bridge Program hosted a panel discussion, sharing their experience and knowledge, and highlighting the important work of Peer Support in the ED Bridge Program.
Other sessions throughout the day focused on topics relating to opioid stewardship, including a presentation by the Louisville Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on diversion in health care, and a session providing education on reducing stigma relating to Opioid Use Disorder.
