Opiates in the workplace was the focus of four regional business forums hosted by EMHS and sponsored by The Acadia Hospital recently. The November 1 forums were held in Waterville and Newport, with a forum held in Bangor on November 2 and a fourth offered in Presque Isle on November 3.
The Acadia Hospital president and CEO, Dottie Hill, RNC observed that, “No one will escape the impact of such a public health crisis. But there are things we can do, and it begins today by talking about the problem in the business community.”
As the high turnout at each forum suggests, business leaders are among those who are concerned about both the financial and human cost of opiate abuse. More than 200 individuals attended one of the forums.
The featured presenter was Scott Farnum, MS, MPA, LCPC, LADC, NCC, a former Acadia employee who is currently department head of Pharmacological Therapies at Hill Health Center in New Haven, Connecticut. Farnum presented information that demonstrated the powerful addictive properties of opiates, and stressed that opiate addiction needs to be viewed as a chronic, relapsing disease.
Joining Scott as panelists were Kimberly Johnson, MSED, MBA, director of the Office of Substance Abuse, Department of Health and Human Services, and Jim Owen, CEAP regional manager for Affiliated Employee Assistance Program.
The Acadia Hospital is a member of EMHS, an advocate and leader for community benefit and quality healthcare. |
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