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Combat the Opioid Crisis

By The SHSMD Team posted 05-02-2018 12:14 PM

  

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Like many hospitals dedicated to community health, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth (BID-Plymouth) had been allocating considerable resources to traditional wellness initiatives like fighting childhood obesity.


That all changed when the hospital’s chief executive officer was approached by the principal of a local high school with some disturbing news. A team of journalists at the school had developed a video news segment on opioid use that revealed a drug dealer used stolen prescription pads from the hospital’s emergency department to maintain his lucrative stock of opioids. What could have easily turned into a public relations nightmare instead became the rallying cry for community action led by BID-Plymouth.

A Population Health Emergency
According to Christopher Smalley, director of marketing and communications at BID-Plymouth, the incident helped to prompt hospital executives to conduct a comprehensive Behavioral Health Community Needs Assessment, which revealed significant barriers between the emergency department, primary care offices, and various community organizations.

In response, the hospital developed a strategy to pilot a behavioral health and substance use disorders program. The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission’s CHART Program earmarked $500,000 for the effort, and the BID-Plymouth Integrated Healthcare & Substance Use Collaborative was launched in October 2015.

Addressing Opioid Addiction
To communicate the collaborative’s purpose, BID-Plymouth’s marketing team developed a multi-pronged effort that relied extensively on outreach to local media, civic leaders, health care providers, and more. For example, the team coordinated two public hearings for state legislators and also promoted awareness of 10 “drop-in” centers where those who were in crisis could go for outpatient treatment and support services.

What started as a pilot program has grown into a population health movement. During the first year, approximately 3,000 individuals received behavioral health intervention in the emergency department, and emergency medicine physicians attained a 48 percent decrease in prescribing opioids.

In a recent issue of Spectrum, Smalley shared additional insights on marketing’s role in the movement.

To learn more...

SHSMD members, read the full article: On the Front Lines of the Opioid Epidemic.
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