Over one hundred people attended a healthcare conference called "The Epidemic is Here" Friday at the DeKalb Community Complex.
The conference, first held in Cookeville in 2014, concerned the treatment and prevention of opiate addiction. The event was sponsored by DeKalb Community Hospital and The DeKalb County Drug Prevention Coalition, and combined a diverse committee including backgrounds in healthcare, social work, drug court, children’s services, and various charitable organizations. Speakers included Judge Bratten Cook II, Chief of Medicine at the Mountain Home VA Medical Center in Johnson City, Dr. Stephen Loyd, and Director of Prevention Services for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Angela McKinney-Jones.
Funds from the event went to The Community Advisory Board of DeKalb County.
Robert Valerio, of co-event sponsor Bradford Health Services, Told the Review that the conference was meant to educate healthcare workers on methods of treatment. "Our goal is not to inform people that we have a problem with prescription medication addiction," Valerio shared, "but to give medical professionals some strategies they can implement to best address the problem."
Dr. Loyd told the Review that he hoped the conference helped to both educate healthcare professionals on prescription abuse problems, as well as to make them more aware of the benefits of medication-assisted treatment. "The first thing I hope we accomplished was to educate providers about the issue of prescription drugs abuse, and some things we could do to make an impact from a provider’s standpoint," he said. "The second thing is to raise awareness of medication-assisted therapy, and how it can be implemented in our current treatment efforts."
Other conference sponsors included The DeKalb County Drug Court, Health Connect America, Haven of Hope Counseling Center, The DeKalb county Anti-Drug Coalition, The Tennessee Commission of Children and Youth, The Power of Putnam, Lifeline of Tennessee, Ten Broeck of Tennessee, The DeKalb county Health Department, Camelot Cares, and The Department of Children’s Services.
DeKalb Community Hospital provided snacks, and coffee was supplied by Social Blenz.