FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2018
Contact: John Lyon 845-638-5645

Community Organizations Join Forces to Combat Opioid Crisis

New City, NY – County Executive Ed Day, Rockland Commissioner of Mental Health Michael Leitzes, District Attorney Tom Zugibe and leaders from Montefiore Nyack Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Helen Hayes Hospital, Crystal Run Healthcare, Refuah Health Center, Rockland Paramedic Services and the Rockland County Medical Society announced a new initiative to combat the opioid crisis.

"We in county government are doing everything we can think of to combat this crisis. Heroin and other drugs are stealing to many of our residents, particularly our young people," said County Executive Day.

The Rockland County Department of Mental Health and Department of Health teamed with these organizations to distribute two letters to those who prescribe medications within the county.

The letters ask prescribers to do three things: educate themselves on the safe and effective treatment of pain, screen patients for opioid use disorder and connect them to treatment, and approach addiction as a chronic illness rather than a moral failing.

"The good news is that we already have one of the lowest rates of Opioid Analgesic Prescribing (349.3 prescriptions per 1,000 residents) and that our rate of opioid-related deaths is below the statewide average," said Day. "However, I know we can do better. Losing even one life to this epidemic is one life too many. If we can curb the number of opioid prescriptions we can limit even more people from suffering from this kind of addiction."

District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said, "Overprescribing opioids - most often for chronic pain - is the key driver of Rockland County's overdose epidemic. My office has been at the forefront of educating local physicians about opioid abuse so that we can save lives and spare more patients the tragedy of addiction. We know that a collaborative approach is necessary to change the direction of this scourge on local families."

"It is critically important to raise awareness and join forces to combat the opioid epidemic in Rockland County," said Mary P. Leahy, MD, CEO of Bon Secours Charity Health System/Good Samaritan Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). "Our health system is on the front lines of the high-stakes fight against addiction, offering best practices of care in prevention and treatment. We applaud Rockland County Executive Ed Day for taking the lead in forming this multi-sector collaborative partnership to bring this crucial issue to the forefront."

"Montefiore Nyack Hospital employs a multi- faceted approach to manage and limit the use of opioids for pain therapy. In addition to complying with state regulations, we enforce our chronic pain policy which restricts the supply of any opioid medication dispensed for emergent, post-surgical or acute care pain management. All of our patients are also offered alternative modalities for pain management which are supported by psychological and multi-disciplinary care," said Montefiore Nyack Hospital President & CEO, Mark Geller, MD. "We provide a comprehensive continuum of services for adults seeking care and recovery from substance abuse which includes, inpatient and outpatient programs, counseling and group therapies. A counseling group for adolescents is also offered and our professionals frequently work with schools and community organizations to provide awareness and education about the opioid crisis."

"All of us, especially in the medical community, have seen firsthand the impact that the opioid epidemic has had on the Hudson Valley. We applaud County Executive Day for his efforts to combat the opioid problem in Rockland County and thank him for his leadership on this critical issue," said Hal Teitelbaum, MD, JD, MBA, Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Crystal Run Healthcare. "At Crystal Run Healthcare, we have been working hard for the last several years to limit the amount of opioids in our community. The goal is to use all the tools at our disposal including therapy, interventional pain consultation, and many other modalities to help manage pain, keep people functioning, and provide the best evidence-based medical care for our patients and community."

"For 25 years Refuah has dedicated itself to Rockland County and its residents, remaining alert and flexible to meet the area's changing needs. With the opioid epidemic extending its reach across the country, we, as healthcare providers, have the unique ability and privilege of providing care here at home. We face this challenge with open minds and open hearts and are proud to join the Rockland County Department of Mental Health and other area providers in the Surgeon General's Turn the Tide pledge," the Refuah Community Health Collaborative said.

"Helen Hayes Hospital is proud to support the Rockland County Opioid Initiative. As a national leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation care, our staff has a long tradition of working with patients to manage pain, using multidisciplinary, multimodal pain management strategies," said Marjorie King, MD, FACC, MAACVPR, Chief Medical Officer of Helen Hayes Hospital. "Medical staff minimize use of narcotic medications, substituting medications that address causes of pain such as inflammation or spasm, and working with therapists, behavioral medicine specialists, and nurses to help patients restore mobility, independence and active lifestyles."

"The Department of Mental Health has the responsibility and privilege of serving the needs of children and adults. In that role, we have witnessed the impact of the surging opioid crisis on individuals and families. We have seen families separated due to the impact of opioids on parents and as a result, children entering the foster care system with its potential challenges. We have seen teens who begin using the opioid pain medication in their family medicine cabinets and later progress to intravenous usage. Sadly, we know that we have lost some Rockland residents to opioid overdoses. It is our hope that together we can prevent these tragedies. With the help of our partners we strive to bring awareness, prevention and treatment to reduce the incidence of opioid use disorders throughout Rockland County," concluded Dr. Susan Hoerter, Medical Director of the Rockland County Department of Mental Health.

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