Resourcing & Addressing Opioids Addiction in NC

21st Century Cures Act “Resourcing & Addressing the Opioid Addiction Crisis in North Carolina”

A White Paper Concept & Proposal By Kwado Gyarteng-Dakwa, M.D. in association with The HEAG Pain Management Corporations

21st Century Cures Act: National Opioid Epidemic “Resourcing and Addressing The Opioid Addiction Crisis in North Carolina”

Background In 2015 more than 15,000 people died of overdoses involving use of prescription opioids. In addition, some 18,000 people died of overdoses from street purchased heroin. Unquestionably, there is an opioid epidemic in the United States.

Since 1999, the amount of prescription opioids sold in our country has increased four-fold.

Due to this massive increase in the legal distribution of opioid pain relievers, more people are becoming addicted.

In many cases, addiction to

prescribed opioids lead to use of heroin. When people who have developed a dependency on opioid painkillers can no longer get a prescription, many opt for the cheaper and more readily available alternative of heroin. Heroin addiction is on the rise, in part, as a result of the over-prescribing of opioids.

2000-2015: more than 500,000 people have died from drug overdoses in America.

1999-2017: Approximately 13,000 people have died in N.C. from unintentional opioid overdoses.

North Carolina, like many states in America, is experiencing a social and medical health crisis arising out of the use of both illegal drugs and prescription drugs.

This White Paper is offered by the HEAG Pain Management Center, P.A. and the HEAG Foundation, Inc. as a pathway to more effective treatment of the opioid epidemic in North Carolina.

The basis for the recommendations herein is the clinical experience of Dr.

Kwado Gyarteng-Dakwa and his pain management treatment clinics in Durham, Greenville, Greensboro and Archdale. Dr. Dakwa’s patient base is approximate 3,000 visits per month.

Resourcing and Addressing The Problem in North Carolina In the closing days of the Obama administration, Congress appropriated substantial funds to address the opioid crisis in America. The State of North Carolina has been appropriated approximately $31 million in federal monies to address the opioid epidemic across the state. These additional resources are critical to confronting a rising social and medical problem.

However, just as critical as the availability of funds is the allocation of the funding in such a way the critical component of treatment and recovery are addressed.

We seek $2.5-3 million for initiatives outlined in this White Paper.

Mental Health Treatment

Access To Treatment & Care

A critical component of addiction and pain management treatment is addressing closely aligned mental health problems. Unfortunately, partly due to failure of Medicaid to pay for mental health treatment, mental health treatment has not been given the priority that it must have. The HEAG clinics will seek to expand to its’ current mental health treatment services at each of its’ four clinics.

Bringing persons addicted to opioids, particularly those without medical insurance, into treatment in critical to stemming the deaths from heroin use.

The four HEAG clinics will seek to initiate an education and awareness program employing trained counselors who will go out into targeted communities to identify and assist those suffering from addiction but take treatment and care. This is initiative is of particular importance to lowmoderate income urban and rural communities.

Transportation The HEAG clinics recognize that a substantial barrier to treatment and recovery for many patients is access to reliable transportation to treatment.

The HEAG clinics will seek to initiate a transportation service to confront this barrier to treatment, particularly for patients living in rural communities.

Transportation service, originating from each of the four HEAG clinics, will provide round trip service to individuals within 25 miles of each clinic.

Conference The HAEG clinics, in association with North Carolina Central University, College of Behavioral Science, will organize and host a conference addressing the opioid crisis in North Carolina. The conference will include medical professionals, religious and community leaders, academics and other stakeholders seeking to explore best practices to address the crisis and to build bridges between those engaged in finding solutions.

In conjunction with the VA based out of Fort Bragg, the HAEG organization and Mrs. Marshall will provide a highly specialized service to an isolated segment of our community.

The history of Mrs. Marshall servicing this particularly demographic in need of services must be leveraged in our efforts to provide treatment and care to those in most need.

The Jubilee House Fayetteville, NC The HEAG organization proposed an initiative and collaboration with Barbara Marshal and the her nonprofit organization committed to serving the needs of female homeless veterans. The Jubilee House initiative with provide residential treatment services to female veterans, who are homeless, and suffer from an opioid addiction.

Contact:

Ken Nixon, Ph.D., J.D., M.F.A. The HEAG Foundation, Inc. 203 Pomona Drive Greensboro, NC 27407 (336) 542-2127