Mid-Willamette Valley Pain Summit Starts Regional Action Plan

Nearly 200 people gathered at the Salem Convention Center on September 22, 2017 in Salem, Oregon to begin drafting a regional action plan to reduce prescription drug abuse, misuse, and overdose in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. Summit participants included representatives from the medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, and addiction communities.

The Action Plan will center on strategies to:

  1. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PILLS IN CIRCULATION by improving health system practices for pain management
  2. BETTER PAIN MANAGEMENT by increasing access to safer and more effective and pain treatment
  3. EXPAND ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND NALOXONE for opioid dependence and overdose prevention
  4. EDUCATE PATIENTS AND THE PUBLIC on the dangers, safe use and disposal of Rx

OrCRM is creating a draft action plan based on feedback from the summit, which will be available on the OrCRM website later this fall. In the meantime, please contact us if you have any questions or ideas for next steps.

Highlights of the summit include:

  • Dr. Rachel Solotaroff, Central City Concern, discussed methods to effectively engage and provide safe pain treatment for patients living with persistent pain using a “recovery-oriented” approach in a primary care setting. Participants learned about tools such as pain phrasing for clinicians and staff.
  • The Salem Health Medical Group Pain Management Team provided practical information and examples of how to work as a team to clearly communicate and reinforce expectations and maintain focus on patient-centered outcomes. Participants viewed a video illustrating use of a team approach to foster unified messaging, support difficult conversations, and instill confidence in patients to play a more active role in treatment.
  • Recognition by Oregon thought leaders on the significance social determinants of health factor into the current opioid crisis, importance of addressing the root cause of pain and addiction and imperative to take-action to help communities and individuals heal. The presentation by Dr. David Labby, Health Share of Oregon and a video available on Bridgeway Recovery Services’ website underscore this connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlpFNLPS59Q
  • Julia Pinsky shared her story of loss and her mission to turn grief into action – saving more lives for those at risk of an opioid overdose by making naloxone available to everyone; everywhere.  https://www.maxsmission.org/

This was the seventh summit hosted by the Oregon Coalition for Responsible Use of Meds (OrCRM)—a statewide coalition to prevent overdose, misuse, and abuse of amphetamines and opioids (both prescription and illicit) among Oregonians. We would like to thank Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics for their sponsorship and leadership to address opioid abuse and encourage safer pain management in the region. We also express gratitude to other summit sponsors: Santiam Hospital, Bridgeway Recovery Services, Willamette Valley Community Health, Behavioral Care Network and the Oregon Health Authority.

Summit Presentations