Connect Magazine Spring 2018: Ohio University CHSP

SPRING 2018 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 2

Training Students to Stop an Overdose page 20

Opioid Epidemic Response special section pages 2-20

connect ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP Randy Leite DEAN Jennifer Horner ASSOCIATE DEAN, RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES Sally Marinellie ASSOCIATE DEAN, ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

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Tia Barrett CHIEF FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Coming Together, Fighting Together

Becky Zuspan ASSISTANT DEAN FOR STUDENT SERVICES Kathy Spicer ASSISTANT DEAN FOR ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT Elizabeth Jones ASSISTANT DEAN FOR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT Ginny Valentin SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL OHIO PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS Regina Schwartz SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

SCHOOLS & DEPARTMENTS LEADERSHIP Dhiraj Vattem SCHOOL OF APPLIED HEALTH SCIENCES AND WELLNESS, DIRECTOR Terry Cluse-Tolar DEPARTMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH STUDIES, INTERIM CHAIR

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Taking Back Control: Steps to Recovery

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Stop an Overdose, Save a Life

Deborah Henderson SCHOOL OF NURSING, DIRECTOR Gary Chleboun SCHOOL OF REHABILITATION AND COMMUNICATION SCIENCES, DIRECTOR Tania Basta DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH, CHAIR

CONTRIBUTORS Graphic Designer: Lauren Dickey Writers: Joe Higgins, Regina Schwartz, Elizabeth Jones, Randy Leite Photographer: Lauren Dickey

CONNECT WITH US Connect is published for alumni, friends, faculty and staff of the College of Health Sciences and Professions at Ohio University. College of Health Sciences and Professions, W361 Grover Center, Athens, Ohio 45701, Phone: 740.593.1433. Ohio University is an Affirmative Action Institution. Visit us online at ohio.edu/chsp.

Send letters to the editor at chsp@ohio.edu. ©Copyright 2018

On the cover: Nursing student assembles NARCAN to administer during an interdisciplinary simulation. page 20

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Providing HOPE during Opioid Epidemic

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Technology Challenge in Opioid Response

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MESSAGE FROM OUR DEAN

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uring the nine years I have served as dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professions, I have been amazed by all of the incredible things our faculty, staff, and students do every day. Our best measure of success is the impact we have on the lives of the people we encounter. Among students, we measure this impact in all the ways we support an individual through their education and prepare them for a successful career.

I believe we also have an obligation to make a difference in our region and our state. While we are here to educate students and to create knowledge that informs our understanding of the world, we can do those things in ways that bring benefit to our communities. This issue of Connect highlights one aspect of our commitment.

The scourge of opioid abuse has wreaked havoc in our region and our state. Last year, approximately 6,000 Ohio citizens died of opioid overdoses. Throughout our region, counties struggle with high overdose rates, a crisis in foster care placements, high costs of jailing drug abusers and distributors, and finding individuals who can pass drug tests to qualify for employment opportunities.

Simply put, the opioid crisis is transforming our communities. However, the College of Health Sciences and Professions is stepping up! In these pages, you will have a chance to learn about the many initiatives we are undertaking to try to reduce the impact of opioid abuse in our region. We do these things not to bring us more students or more revenue. How will we judge our success? If there are fewer people dying, fewer people overdosing, more people getting and staying clean, more people being able to find jobs, and more children staying in school and fewer children in foster care; then we will celebrate our success.

As you read through the pages of this magazine you will notice an abundance of the color purple. Purple signifies opioid abuse awareness and while I am sobered by the vastness of the opioid problem, I am proud to see the purple in this magazine because it represents our college’s efforts to do our part. I am most proud of the many partnerships that stand at the heart of what we do. We in CHSP are committed to leading a community-wide effort to address all of the negative outcomes of opioid abuse. The partnerships we’ve formed are the key to doing so.

I hope you will feel the pride that I do in being affiliated with a college that is so committed to making a difference in its region. So many of our people are doing so many incredible things to address the opioid crisis. I am glad we can bring you their stories.

Dean Randy Leite

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more than the OLD COLLEGE TRY

“Higher education is uniquely positioned to address the opioid crisis.”

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hose words, spoken by Sam Quinones at the Ohio University Grover Lecture on October 11, 2017, reinforced a belief embraced by the University’s College of Health Sciences and Professions for some time. The college, which co-sponsored the three-day visit by the bestselling author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, is now harnessing its resources and innovative culture to take aim at the overwhelming problem of opioid abuse and addiction.

The college joined the battle against opioid abuse in the fall of 2016 when its community outreach advisory committee encouraged the college to align with the cause. The committee is charged with guiding the direction of the college’s community outreach and engagement efforts.

“The group felt this health issue was one of the most critical in our region and our state. At the time, there had been more than 3,000 opioid-related deaths statewide in the previous year, which put Ohio at number one in the nation,” said Rebecca Robison-Miller, the college’s director of college and community partnerships. “We knew we wanted to do something and we felt that our college was in a position to make a difference since we house programs ranging from social work to nursing and physician assistant practice.”

CHSP Dean Randy Leite said he has always felt that the college and its students should be involved in the community.

“I believe students are more effectively educated when they have an opportunity to engage in the world outside the walls of a classroom,” Leite said.

“There is no better way to educate students than introducing them to issues of critical importance to our state and our nation such as opioid abuse.”

In the 18 months since the advisory committee made its recommendation, opioid overdoses in the state have continued to skyrocket, with a record 4,050 people dying of drug overdoses statewide in 2016 and approximately 6,000 in 2017. In response, the college and its students have launched numerous initiatives to combat the crisis.

Efforts include creating a taskforce called Athens HOPE, co-sponsoring with OhioHealth the Quinones visit, forming with The University of Toledo the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health, hosting a fundraiser for women’s recovery housing and sponsoring a student team for the Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge. Plans for creating a chemical dependency certificate are also in the works as well as partnerships with like-minded groups including the Ohio River Valley Addiction Research Consortium and a collaboration with East Tennessee State University.

Click here to view the CHSP opioid response webpage Spring 2018 | connect

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OPIOID RESPONSE

UT College of Health and Human Services Dean Christopher Ingersoll and OHIO College of Health Sciences and Professions Dean Randy Leite.

Combating an Epidemic through an Alliance W hile Ohio University and The University of Toledo might seem unlikely partners on the surface — positioned at different corners of the state, one rural and one urban — leaders at both institutions say they are uniquely positioned together to address the problem of opioid abuse through the new Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health.

“We developed the alliance to enhance outreach and improve lives in Ohio, as well as increase our infrastructure to more strategically engage in relevant research that matters,” said Christopher Ingersoll, dean of the UT College of Health and Human Services. “By combining forces and assembling teams of experts, we will be able to compete for the resources necessary to solve the population health problems in our region and throughout the state.”

Geographically, we’re far away from each other but that also allows us to have a wider influence

“Universities typically do their own thing and don’t interact but we wanted to find ways to bring faculty researchers and students together. It’s thinking outside the box,” said CHSP Dean Randy Leite. “Geographically, we’re far away from each other but that also allows us to have a wider influence.”

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On October 5, 2017, Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis and University of Toledo President Sharon Gaber were on hand at the Ohio Department of Higher Education to offer their support and signatures to formalize the agreement.

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“Ohio University prides itself on educating students who are committed to using their degrees to benefit their communities in the state of Ohio and beyond. This agreement continues to emphasize the commitment to our mission,” Nellis said.

“In addition to researching the often ignored root causes of health issues, we plan to incorporate partner organizations as sources of content expertise, building on networks of strong community relationships to develop and test solutions aimed at establishing best practices,” Hodges said.

“With two of the state’s largest health-focused colleges joining forces, jointly we can make a bigger impact and tackle bigger health issues,” Gaber said.

The alliance has begun work on projects in northwest, central and southeast Ohio and is planning to engage in research revolving around big data in the near future.

Two public health veterans have been brought onboard to lead the alliance’s efforts: Rick Hodges, formerly the director of the Ohio Department of Health, is serving as the alliance director and Orman Hall, former director of the Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team, has been hired as a visiting scholar for opioid research.

Off to a great start!

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n Wednesday, April 18, the alliance held a population health conference in partnership with the Health Policy Institute of Ohio called Show Me the Money: Innovative approaches to financing population health in uncertain times. This full-day conference focused on innovative, effective and sustainable approaches to financing population health strategies.

Experts provided an overview of the current population health financing landscape, with specific presentations on social impact bonds, community development financial institutions and the evolution of payment reform models. Participants also learned about best practices from Ohio and other states. Keynote speakers included Stacy Becker, Vice President, Programs, ReThink Health; Rob Houston, Associate Director, Payment Reform, Center for Health Care Strategies; Greg Moody, Director, Governor’s Office of Health Transformation; Chris Bishop, Executive Director of Regional Expansion, Nurse-Family Partnership; Daniel Lau, Manager of Strategic Engagement, Build Healthy Places Network; and David J. Erickson, Director of Community Development, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Conference topics included: • What is “population health” and what does it mean for Ohio?

• The evolution of paying for population health: What’s working and where?

• The promise and peril of Social Impact Bonds (Pay for Success financing)

• What’s working? Success stories from Ohio’s communities (panel discussion)

Thanks to all who planned and attended this informative event!

Learn more about the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health at OhioPopulationHealthAlliance.com

FIGHTING OPIOID ABUSE

across Appalachia In addition to the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health, CHSP is helping lead three other initiatives spanning much of the northern part of Appalachia.

HOCKING CORRECTIONAL FACILITY CONVERSION CHSP is leading the effort of the Corrections Facility Future Use Team in planning a conversion of the previous Hocking Correctional Facility into a one-stop substance abuse rehab center employing more than 100 people, hopefully replacing 167 jobs lost due to the facility’s closure.

APPALACHIAN PUBLIC HEALTH COLLABORATIVE EFFORT CHSP reached out to the College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University to mutually address a variety of public health issues including opioid abuse throughout the Appalachian region. ETSU is already conducting research in southeast Ohio so this is a logical connection for us as a collaborative partner with strong community connections.

OHIO RIVER VALLEY ADDICTION RESEARCH CONSORTIUM Northern Kentucky University has led the development of this new consortium focusing on addiction research across the Ohio River Valley region. CHSP recently agreed to join NKU in leading the development of the consortium. OHIO will also host the next research conference of the consortium this fall as a way to showcase opioid abuse research and intervention programming across the region.

OPIOID RESPONSE

A Better Way:

Opioid Alternatives I

n the grip of an opioid epidemic, the entire country seems to be looking for ways to cope, stem the tide or even bring an end to this wave of suffering and death. At Ohio University, the College of Health Sciences and Professions is at the forefront in research and practice of alternative treatment options for pain.

Reducing reliance on medication

Dhiraj Vattem, director of the School of Applied Health Sciences and Wellness, is studying the use of cannabinoids as an alternative to opioids in pain management.

According to Vattem, the cannabis (marijuana) plant has a long history of pain management and emerging studies suggests that as cannabis Dhiraj Vattem has become legal in more states throughout the country, the usage of opioids has declined. One of the explanations for this, he said, is that people are using marijuana for managing chronic pain as an alternative to opioids.

Starkey and Gallo write that a multimodal, interdisciplinary approach to pain management, including home care, should be the focal point of patient care. They note thermal interventions as inexpensive, easy-to-access, short-term pain control options. Cold therapy, in the form of ice packs, and heat therapy can alter pain transfer and sedate nerve endings. Electrical stimulation through the use of electrodes placed around the painful area can also be an effective long-term pain control method.

The relatively rapid pain-relieving effects of opiates have been shown to be related to their ability to bind to a variety of opioid receptors distributed in the body. Vattem said cannabinoids lack the structural similarity to opioids and may be reducing pain by targeting the underlying biochemical signaling pathways that cause inflammation and pain.

“Active exercise produces results that are at least equally effective in reducing pain and improving function as that seen with clinician-applied manual therapies,” the article states.

Exercise including yoga, Pilates and tai chi should always be incorporated into pain management interventions if physically possible.

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Understanding cannabinoids

The danger of chronic pain lies in prolonged or permanent changes that can cause nerves to become over sensitized, even in the absence of actual tissue damage, according to Chad Starkey, associate director of the division of athletic training at OHIO, and Joseph Gallo, director of athletic training at Salem State Chad Starkey University, in a published article on pain management. Chronic pain can interfere with daily living and lead to a decreased quality of life which can also contribute to a desire to seek out pharmaceutical methods of relief.

“Our approach is to understand molecular mechanisms related to analgesic effects of cannabinoids, especially the non-psychoactive ones.

We already know that cannabinoids work through the endocannabinoid system in the body, however, little is known about how this relates to many other related signaling pathways in various types of pain,” said Vattem, who added that his research may result in new therapeutic drug possibilities that could play a part in an overall comprehensive strategy for pain management.

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OPIOID RESPONSE

Let’s get physical Physical therapy as an alternative to opioids has gained national attention as more light shines on addiction, overdose and death due to opioids. Prior to the intense marketing and production of opioids by pharmaceutical companies, pain clinics were more multi-faceted in their approach to pain management Betty Sindelar and often included physical therapy.

According to Betty Sindelar, associate professor in CHSP’s School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences, once opioids started to take hold as an “easier” method of managing pain, clinics moved away from using physical therapy as often. With the dangers of opioids now obvious, physical therapy is again being recognized as an effective component of pain management.

Physical therapy works best in pain treatment when therapists can interact with patients early in the process. With some medical conditions, pharmaceuticals may not be necessary. In others, physical therapy can be used in conjunction with medication. Physical Therapist Manager Tara Legar said Ohio Tara Legar University Therapy Associates (OUTA) wants to see people before they start taking medication regularly. Otherwise, weeks may pass with the patient moving incorrectly, or not at all, which makes recovery much more difficult.

Sindelar added that patient education is key.

“With chronic pain, the feedback mechanism for patients has gone haywire,” she said. “Normally with pain, if you touch something hot, you pull away. It’s protective. With chronic pain, it’s no longer protective yet it continues. It’s a matter of education that the pain is no longer protecting you and we have to get you moving. We do that in incremental stages and get people back to being productive.”

In certain cases, such as a knee replacement surgery, opioid use is appropriate, according to Legar, since without the medication it would sometimes be too difficult for the patient to begin physical therapy.

Physical therapy treatments such as dry needling — the use of fine needles to release or inactivate trigger points to relieve pain in muscles — and traditional movement rehabilitation are non-addictive.

Through its partnership with OhioHealth, CHSP’s OUTA is working to implement screenings to give patients a physical therapy evaluation early in the treatment process and create a stronger healthcare plan as a team.

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Game on With chronic back pain, every moment can be uncomfortable, causing people to quit moving, which often exacerbates their condition.

James Thomas

Professors James Thomas and Christopher France want to get people moving again and having fun at the same time.

Their research of more than a decade focuses on those with chronic back pain and a high fear of movement. A new five-year study has been launched to test the Virtual Immersive Gaming Optimizes Recovery (VIGOR) system for low back pain. Through VIGOR, participants will take part in three different virtual reality games that encourage movement. The first game has the participant match and follow certain light patterns in a virtual space of four by four matrix cubes that must be “virtually touched” to be activated. This is the easiest of the games because it features only static targets and the game can be played at the user’s pace. The next game encourages movement by trying to catch fish with a net in the virtual world.

The user has to lean forward to catch jumping fish and then use the virtual net to place the fish into a nearby tank. Afterwards, the user graduates to the third game — dodgeball. Holding a 3D printed ball, the user sees a virtual representation of that ball in the headset and has to move to try to intercept a launched ball. If hit, the user loses points.

“We’re trying to show the effectiveness of this intervention to treat individuals with chronic low back pain, demonstrating a clinically meaningful reduction in pain and disability,” said Thomas.

A total of 18 sessions will be conducted over a nineweek period with regular follow-up appointments.

Those interested in participating in the study can contact vigor@ohio.edu for more information.

Thinking innovatively Along with the above research and practices, Assistant Professor of Athletic Training Dustin Grooms proposes using biofeedback to reduce knee pain. He will use brain imaging to see if brain activity related to pain decreases when the sensory-motor region activity is enhanced. He proposes research Dustin Grooms to see if pain is short-circuiting the brain’s motor regions. It’s ideas like these that keep the College of Health Sciences and Professions at the forefront of opioid response, identifying new ways to manage pain and simultaneously combat the opioid epidemic.

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OPIOID RESPONSE

Reason for

HOPE Halting Opioid Abuse through Prevention and Education

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n February 2017, CHSP launched Athens HOPE, a taskforce focused on fighting the opioid epidemic through prevention and education, in partnership with the Athens CityCounty Health Department and OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital. In its relatively brief existence the group has rapidly grown from three members to 35 and has established three main priorities: education about opioids including educating Ohio University students about the realities of addiction, which the group hopes will help reduce stigma; community-strengthening activities to support those in recovery, including prevention-based community activities and speaking engagements; and service coordination focused on supporting the work of service providers and assisting in linking community resources.

One of the first people to join the taskforce, Athens City-County Health Commissioner Dr. James Gaskell often compares the battle against opioid abuse to the anti-smoking efforts of the 1980s, saying it takes time to change a culture but that he has seen it work.

“In the ‘80s and ‘90s we started showing kids what smoking did to their bodies before they ever picked up a cigarette — we educated them — and we need to do the same thing now with opioids. The most recent surveys show that our smoking cessation strategies were tremendously effective and we now have only about 4 percent of teenagers who smoke on a daily basis compared to 24 percent in 1997.”

In addition to Ohio University, taskforce members are employed by the Athens City-County Health Department, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, Health Recovery Services, the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office, Athens Local Schools, Ohio Means Jobs, Rural Action, the Athens County Public Libraries and more.

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The group is educating community members and students alike via a flyer highlighting several basic facts about opioid abuse: • Opioid painkillers are addictive with a very similar chemical makeup to heroin • Nearly 80 percent of people addicted to heroin started by abusing prescription painkillers • Addiction is a brain disease that changes brain function and structure • Opioid abuse has increased across almost every demographic group in the last 10 years • The chance of relapse after five years of abstinence from substance abuse is only 14 percent Several school systems in the area, including Athens City Schools and Alexander Local Schools, distributed the flyer to all students in their respective systems this past fall.

The group has also created a resource flyer to help connect community members with local recovery services.

Taskforce Chair and CHSP Director of College and Community Partnerships Rebecca Robison-Miller says she would love to see every school system in the state engaging in this type of action.

“While our flyers are focused on Athens County, we would be happy to help other counties launch similar initiatives to get this material in the hands of every school-aged child in the state.”

To learn more about Athens HOPE visit www.AthensHOPE.com

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OPIOID RESPONSE

Adding HOPE to Kidfest

n April 7, Athens HOPE brought an interesting game and message to the 31st annual Kidfest at Ohio University. Faced with similar looking images, parents and children worked to differentiate candy from pills — not always an easy task. “Athens HOPE would like to spread awareness along the lifespan about the risks of opioid and other substance abuse,” said Rebecca Robison-Miller, chair of Athens HOPE. “We decided for this age group to talk to kids about how easy it is to misidentify medications, how dangerous those medicines can be and making good decisions around that.” According to Athens HOPE, good decision-making includes children asking an adult before eating anything, since candy and medicine can often look alike. “We had a lot of parents who said they never realized how similar those are,” said Robison-Miller.

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Heather Gunn, of Nelsonville, watched as her children Alyasia and Kleyeon played the game. “I always tell them to make sure they ask me before they eat anything,” she said. “If anyone gives them anything, I always tell them to let me see it first.”

This was the first community event centered on children for Athens HOPE and Robison-Miller was pleased with the response. “I think the message was well received,” she said. “The kids and parents were engaged with the game.

Receiving feedback that we helped spread awareness to both children and adults motivates us to keep developing our messaging and educational efforts.”

Grover Endowment Strengthening a Community

by Natalie Trusso Cafarello Assistant Professor Eliza Harper teaches community health and senior-level courses in OHIO’s School of Nursing and regularly attends the Grover Lecture series. She also has students attend as part of class.

Many of her students attended the fall 2017 lecture featuring Sam Quinones as well as the April 2016 lecture featuring Nurse Theresa Brown, author of The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients’ Lives.

Harper said Brown’s Grover Lecture gave students a bigpicture view of the nursing field. She explained that when they are in her class, at that point they may have only been bedside dealing with a patient or two.

Through Grover Lectures, students gain perspective beyond the hospital bedside. Brown talked about the challenges of being a nurse and how to resolve them. In addition, she encouraged students not to lose enthusiasm for the profession.

The College of Health Sciences and Professions has hosted the Grover Lecture Series since 2004.

The series brings world-renowned health speakers to Ohio University. It is made possible by the endowment established during OHIO’s Bicentennial Campaign, with funding from alumni and friends, to recognize the late Brandon (Tad) Grover, Jr., BSAG ’50, and his wife Ann, who resides in Athens.

The series aims to bring a comprehensive view of health issues to students and the community.

Since her husband died in 2011, Ann has attended many of the Grover Lecture Series talks, including the October lecture.

“It’s a privilege that the University is hosting the lectures,” Ann Grover said, adding that Dean Randy Leite has done “a tremendous job” in bringing impactful speakers to Athens.

“My husband loved Ohio University, and was very involved in the University and Athens community. I didn’t graduate from the University, but I love it as much as he did, and so does the entire Grover family.”

The Grover family has deep roots at Ohio University. The College of Health and Sciences Professions is housed in Grover Center, named after Tad’s father, Brandon T. Grover, Sr., (BSED ’19) — or as many called him, “Butch” Grover.

Butch Grover was OHIO’s head basketball coach in the 1920s and 1930s, and also served as director of public relations and assistant to President John Calhoun Baker.

Tad Grover was an Ohio University trustee and donor. The lifelong Athens resident worked with Athens National Bank for more than 40 years before retiring in 1992.

“The Grovers’ dedication to Ohio University and education lives through the Grover Lecture Series. It provides students and the community up-close perspectives on issues affecting Ohio and beyond. The speakers have given students a realworld view on a variety of health topics,” Leite said.

Standing

by Joe Higgins and Natalie Trusso Cafarello s the opioid epidemic was making daily headlines across Ohio, the Athens HOPE taskforce began to brainstorm concrete ways the group could help. Rebecca RobisonMiller, chair of the taskforce, and fellow taskforce member Brittany Jarvis had both heard about Sam Quinones’ book recounting the rise of the opioid epidemic in nearby Portsmouth, Ohio.

The group decided bringing him to Athens for a speaking engagement was a good first effort. The idea quickly gained momentum and expanded in scope from a single campus speaking engagement to a three-day whirlwind community tour.

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Quinones spoke at a luncheon on Wednesday, October 11, 2017, attended by President Nellis and several University trustees, then delivered the college’s annual Grover Lecture followed by a student/faculty forum, and later that evening participated in a community conversation in nearby Nelsonville. The following day, Quinones talked about the epidemic with community leaders and healthcare providers at OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, and wrapped things up on Friday of that week with a forum for frontline professionals at the Athens Community Center.

The series, called “Standing Together: Fighting our Community’s Opioid Epidemic” directly impacted an estimated 1,500 people.

OPIOID RESPONSE

Together According to Quinones, a culture that sought freedom from pain, pressure on doctors to change their view of pain management and propaganda made southern and central Ohio, eastern Kentucky and northern West Virginia “ground zero” for the opioid epidemic.

Portsmouth, Ohio, Quinones said, was the poster child for the epidemic, specifically citing Dreamland, the name of the city’s pool. Dreamland was the gathering point for the city, a place where class division was torn down, a place that became the center of the town’s culture.

A city that once boasted more than 40,000 people dropped to around 20,000 by 2010 as major employers including shoe factories and a steel mill closed. According to media reports, 9.7 million pills were prescribed in 2010 in Scioto County, where Portsmouth is located — more than 120 per year for every adult and child in the county — largely through the pill mills that rapidly popped up in the area. The county had 22 overdose deaths that year and the Oxycontin economy was born as pills became an unofficial tender in the city. Dreamland was torn down and replaced with asphalt and a strip mall.

For senior nursing student Kaytlin Maiden, who attended the Grover Lecture, the opioid crisis has personal significance.

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“I know of a couple of friends ... and a specific family member struggling with heroin addiction.

One of them would get treatment and relapse; get treatment again and relapse...” she said.

Although viewing the latest Grover Lecture in October was a class assignment, Maiden planned to watch the lecture regardless.

“It’s an interesting topic for me because it hits close to home. All of our professors have talked about and read [Quinones’] book,” she said.

Maiden said the talk reinforced the mission and vocation of being a nurse, which is emphasized to OHIO School of Nursing students.

“We are called to be empathetic, unbiased, nonjudgmental; you can’t approach a patient with any type of bias, otherwise you can’t take care of them as they should be taken care of,” she said.

One of the main things the Quinones lecture underscored for her was that addiction is a disease.

“Taking drugs alters the chemistry in your brain, which causes the disease process called addiction.

I was already on that side, and I feel like he laid it out pretty well. But not everyone in healthcare is on that side. They think it’s a behavioral thing, or that someone can do [drugs] once and just stop it. Many people think, ‘Why can’t they just quit?’” she said.

Quinones said he believes there is no one solution to the epidemic but rather many solutions: from doctors reassessing their prescribing methods to more treatment centers instead of jails, greater personal accountability for health and rebuilding communities in the face of an ever-more isolated culture.

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OPIOID RESPONSE

Recovery supported by OHIO initiatives

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efore enrolling at Ohio University, Amy* first attended a small-town college where she was a straight-A student, enjoyed dance and was a leader in her sorority. However, her education and her life took a major detour when she — like too many others — succumbed to drug abuse.

In her formative college years, Amy began a relationship with Dan* who had used various forms of drugs since he was 12 years old. At first, he was accepting of her decision not to participate in any drug use but over time that changed. Dan started to cut Amy off from her friends, family and others until his friends on drugs became her friends on drugs. He pressured her, made her feel she had to try it and even threatened her. Amy’s first drug was cocaine but that progressed quickly to heroin.

“It wasn’t a choice for me. He started to beat me regularly and it got to the point where I was doing heroin because it hurt less to get hit with a chair if I was on heroin,” said Amy. School became an afterthought. Amy was working three jobs to support Dan and their drug habit.

They moved more than a hundred times, at one point staying in three different places in a 24-hour timespan.

Heroin use transitioned to opioid pills as the abuse continued. This was compounded by devastating news around Amy’s 21st birthday.

“I thought my appendix was rupturing but they told me I had ovarian cancer instead,” she said.

“They gave me painkillers and, after spending 16 hours in the ER, my doctor asked me about taking a to-go shot of morphine. He was pushing it and I thought that’s what I was supposed to do, that it was typical.”

Amy took her pain medication but it never seemed to be enough. She needed more. For three months, she remained on bed rest from the cancer surgery and took whatever she could, whatever Dan would bring her to dull the pain.

Amy said that because her circle of friends had dwindled, she doesn’t believe people knew publicly about her drug problem.

“The culture at that college was a lot different (than Ohio University). It was normal for people to go out on a Wednesday and drop acid. The opioid use wasn’t as bad on the college campus at the time but in town, it was terrible,” she said.

Amy’s pattern of abuse continued until one day a childhood friend, her best friend for years, confronted her.

“She told me she hated seeing me like that … seeing her cry really got to me,” Amy said.

*Pseudonym used to protect the identity of the source.

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Amy had tried to get clean when she was 20 years old. Her father visited — marking the first time she had seen family in more than a year — and gave her money for rent, money which Dan spent on drugs. She decided to leave the relationship and leave the drug life but wasn’t able to follow through. Her friend’s words and tears spurred her to finally take real action.

“I wanted control of my life back,” Amy said. “I had changed so much. I did things that weren’t me. I wasn’t me.”

Through a series of events, Amy and Dan finally parted ways, bringing an end to a physically and mentally abusive relationship that lasted nearly four years. Following the breakup, she entered recovery and then enrolled at OHIO. Her recovery journey had begun. She counts herself lucky that she never had withdrawal symptoms and said it was a relief to be off drugs.

Amy filled her recovery time by doing things she was interested in — hiking, walking and picking up old hobbies such as photography.

“That’s what worked for me,” she said.

“Everybody’s story is different.”

Amy became involved in community service and sought ways to get involved at OHIO. Enrolled in a drugs in society class offered through CHSP, Amy learned of Ohio University’s Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC). See sidebar

“I wanted con t r o l of my life b ac k ”

“I joined the CRC and now I use my recovery to help others.

That’s recovery for me,” she said.

Amy offers that hope is always there for those wanting to stop the cycle and recover. She advised blocking negative influences on social media, removing similar people from social circles and leaving town to get treatment elsewhere.

“Most importantly,” she added, “Don’t give up on your goals and dreams.”

Amy doesn’t regret the things she’s been through.

Instead she looks at the great things that have happened to her since then such as joining Ohio University and the CRC. She is also in a new relationship with a man whom she said is her biggest supporter. The two hope to move to Europe upon graduation and Amy dreams of opening a holistic practice for those suffering from chemical dependency and domestic violence.

“I’ve learned that you might not be able to change the world but you can change one person’s world,” said Amy. “I am trying to be that change.”

Rising up to support recovery When she needed it most, Amy* was pointed in the direction of Ohio University’s Collegiate Recovery Community — a place that welcomes students in recovery from alcohol, drug and other addictions.

Amy was leaving an abusive relationship that also involved drug abuse. She needed a place to talk, a place to listen and a path toward finding herself. She also wanted a way to get involved in the community and help socially.

While in a CHSP health class, faculty member Terry Koons pointed her to Ann Addington and the CRC. “It was an instant match,” Amy said.

Addington, the assistant director for health promotion with the Campus Involvement Center, listened to Amy’s story and in the year since then, Amy has missed just one meeting.

What she gains from the program, she tries to give back by sharing her experiences with the group and offering coping tips.

“I use my experiences to help others and I pick up a little from everyone to help myself grow,” said Amy. “Students forge meaningful relationships with their peers and overcome feelings of isolation through a safe and inclusive recovery community,” said Addington, who is also a member of Athens HOPE. “Research shows that students involved in CRC have better retention rates, higher GPAs and better graduation rates compared to the overall population of their institutions.”

Recovery to Inspire, Share and Empower (R.I.S.E.) supports students in recovery and creates an exciting, sober environment at OHIO while fostering a safe place for students to learn and grow. Resources and referrals are available for students seeking recovery or who are affected by the recovery or substance abuse of a friend or family member.

Students in recovery are not defined by their past but have the opportunity to celebrate their sobriety. R.I.S.E. acknowledges that there are many roads to recovery and supports each student in his or her personal journey to find acceptance, support, happiness, peace, success and commitment to their well-being.

“Students who visit the CRC will find no judgments, no stigmas, just support,” said Addington.

Call 740.593.4749, email crc@ohio.edu, or drop

by Baker Center 321 for more information. *Pseudonym used to protect the identity of the source.

Spring 2018 | connect

13

OPIOID RESPONSE

Students Standing

Together to Fight an Epidemic OHIO students win $500 in Opioid Technology Challenge

W

orking together to make the world a better place is a thread woven through the fabric of the Ohio University community. In that spirit, 20 students from varying concentrations banded together to take part in the Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge where the team was named a runner-up and the beneficiary of a $500 prize.

Among those students who represented OHIO well were Mark Slayton, Patrick Kelly, Marlee Gilmore, Mohd Rifat Khan and Alexas Losey.

The team, created as part of the OHIO Over Opioids Ideathon sponsored by CHSP in December, came up with several unique ideas before settling on one to present. The concept was to develop a matchmaking app to connect people in recovery with others who could provide support and serve as sponsors.

“It was exciting to get to talk with other students of varying backgrounds, professions and experiences about the drug crisis in our area,” added Gilmore, a social work major.

While their idea was not chosen as one of the five finalists, the team still garnered runner-up recognition.

Jeremy Jackson, senior manager of Deloitte, a company that partnered with CHSP on the Ideathon said, “I hope it was a valuable experience for the students, both in terms of reflecting on the vastness of the opioid problem as well as thinking about how they can use their own talent and experiences to think about solutions that could ultimately benefit their families, friends, classmates and their community.”

CHSP Dean Randy Leite congratulated the group on its effort adding, “You all came together very quickly, did some great work and more than earned your recognition. Thank you all for your interest in the opioid issue and the creativity you brought to the exercise.”

“It was great to work on this project,” said Kelly, a marketing major. “There were so many diverse students from all majors and walks of life who have been touched by this crisis in numerous ways.”

Slayton, a doctoral candidate in molecular and cellular biology, said working with the cross-disciplinary team was a unique experience.

“I am used to working with people from my field but this was something new and exciting. The way that we came up with an idea as a team was very intuitive. The experience taught me to work with other people that have completely different thought processes than I do. I am certain this skill will come in handy during my career,” said Slayton.

The team is hoping that their idea can still be developed in some capacity.

“If the right resources are provided, this idea can be developed into a fully workable support system for opioid recovery patients,” said Kahn, a doctoral student in industrial and systems engineering.

“I hope that someone is able to take our idea and run with it,” added Losey, a sociology/criminology major. “I truly think that it would be an awesome tool for people in recovery.”

Hundreds of people throughout the country and also from nine other countries submitted ideas for the challenge, which is part of a $20 million commitment by the state to advance new ideas and new technology-based solutions for combating the opioid crisis.

Click here to read more about the Ohio Opioid Technology Challenge

OPIOID RESPONSE

T

he Ohio University BSN Student Organization held the inaugural Purple Gala on Nov. 28 in the Baker Center Ballroom. The event featured guest speakers presenting information on overdose resuscitation and prevention and raised nearly $4,000.

“The whole aim of community nursing is to look at the root cause and think upstream, so we’re looking at how to educate the public,” said Ty Tracy, president of the organization. “How do you spot an overdose? What can you do as a bystander? I think we’re at a point now where we have to inform people what they can do in that moment.”

Proceeds from the gala were donated to Women for Recovery, which provides assistance for women in early substance abuse recovery, and marked specifically for Serenity Grove, the first Athens-area transitional home for women.

Samantha Skidmore, a member of the BSN Student Organization, said she hopes the class of 2019 will take the gala and grow it going forward.

“We chose the opioid epidemic because it is so prevalent in our area but next year there could be a whole new cause that needs attention,” said Skidmore. “I just hope it brings the community together and provides not only education on what the issues are but how our community is helping or what they can do to help.”

Student Gala Raises Opioid Awareness and Recovery Housing Funds Given the relative youth and inexperience of the group in holding such a large event, Skidmore said she thought the gala went smoothly.

“We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. That night we had a sold-out gala with 300 people, a waiting list, information tables, photo area, raffle prizes, merchandise to support the gala and cause, plus speakers who shared their stories, and entertainment,” she said. “We had personal experiences, medical expertise, law enforcement perspective and representatives from Serenity Grove. It was an incredible night of education, awareness, hope and, above all else, a challenge to continue this conversation we started.”

She added that the opioid crisis is not going away anytime soon but that “together we can provide a safe haven, protect those in recovery and empower change.”

In addition to heavy social media engagement, chalking sidewalks and tabling at Grover Center, Baker Center and the Alumni Gate, the BSN Student Organization hosted “Shining Light on the Opioid Epidemic” on Nov. 16. The group lit Walter Fieldhouse with the cause’s signature purple light.

“Empowering our students with prevention tools allows them to be stewards in both this community and their home communities,” said Eliza Harper, assistant professor and student organization advisor.

Right: Student leaders (left to right) Kelsey Duenhoft, Mikala Perry, Ty Tracy and Samantha Skidmore along with advisor (middle) Eliza Harper led the Purple Gala effort. Top: Shining Light on the Opioid Epidemic.

Photo Courtesy The Athens News Spring 2018 | connect

15

OPIOID RESPONSE

2017 Global Health Case Competition first place team members receive awards at the Global Engagement Awards Gala. (Left to right) Dean Randy Leite; Gillian Ice, Global Health director; Debra McBride, Global Health assistant director; OHIO President M. Duane Nellis; first place team members: Emma Harvey, Brooke Mauro, Dahlia Gordon, Gabriella Mayer; and Lorna Jean Edmonds, vice provost for Global Affairs and International Studies.

A World of Difference

T

Case competition winners fight drug abuse locally and globally

he 2017 Global Health Case Competition may have focused on marginalization and addiction in Hungary, but many of the issues and proposed solutions are also relevant to Ohio’s opioid crisis. This is evidenced by the fact that the top two teams are hoping to implement their solutions across the state of Ohio.

According to Meredith Gartin, visiting assistant professor for CHSP’s Global Health Initiative, “The case competition was in response to the opioid addiction issues here in Ohio and to relate and compare the addiction issues in Hungary.”

Although Hungary does not have a widespread opioid problem compared to the U.S., there is a growing heroin problem in Budapest and alcohol is a major addiction concern across Hungary. The competition focused on identifying long-term strategies to prevent Hungary’s addiction problems from becoming an epidemic.

The winning team proposed a solution that focuses on afterschool programming to prevent adolescent drug abuse and the second place team proposed an automated needle exchange program.

Ohio University and the College of Health Sciences and Professions will send the first-place team to Budapest to work with partners established through Health Leaders Association Partnership, a non-profit based in Hungary led by Kia Goolesorkhi.

First-place team members include two CHSP graduate students, Clinical Doctorate of Audiology student Gabriella Mayer and Combined Master of Science and Dietetic Internship student Dahlia Gordon. The team also includes two undergraduate students, pre-medicine student Emma Harvey (who is also pursuing a CHSP diabetes certificate) and Bachelor of Business Administration student Brooke Mauro. Mauro also serves as a student trustee on the Ohio University Board of Trustees.

In March, Goolesorkhi and István Kiss, chair of the Department of Public Health Medicine at the University of Pécs, met with the winning team to discuss opportunities for planned research activities. Mayer said, “The afterschool program isn’t really about drug prevention and education programming but it’s about establishing activities for at-risk youth that can serve as alternative options to using drugs.”

When asked about the team’s visit with Hungarian partners, Mayer said, “It was eye-opening to hear what they said about Hungarian culture and what they perceive about addiction.”

Mauro added, “They [Hungarian guests] were also surprised by how we, in the U.S., perceive the problem of addiction.”

During the summer, the students will begin to discuss this comparison while co-creating an afterschool curriculum in Budapest.

“It was cool that they [Hungarian guests] said it means a lot for us to come to Hungary because it brings attention to the issue of addiction. This experience, the case competition and working with partners, really allows us to have a meaningful impact on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Gordon.

First place team meets with Kia Goolesorkhi and István Kiss, chair of the Department of Public Health Medicine, from the University of Pécs to discuss opportunities for planned research activities.

16

Spring 2018 | connect

X-Change for Impact wo CHSP students have been accepted into the Unite for Sight Global Health and Innovation Prize international competition for their work on an innovative needle exchange program.

Students Victoria Lewis (public health) and Joelle Hopkins (applied nutrition) were part of a team that proposed a needle exchange strategy that garnered second-place honors at the Global Health Case Competition; the two decided to re-brand their proposal, entitled “X-Change for Impact,” and submit an abstract for the international competition.

“We really liked our idea and we wanted to see if we could take it further,” said Hopkins.

“X-Change for Impact” is meant to partner with health and social workers to rotate needle boxes through key target areas. The boxes accept used needles and distribute sterile needles and condoms in return. X-Change would have the added feature of a chip that could track when and how many needles are exchanged and send a notification to trained professionals if more than three needles are submitted in an hour — indicating potential overdose risk.

Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis commended the students for their creative drive and forward thinking.

“Student research and creative activity are integral to Ohio University’s educational mission,” President Nellis said. “We want to provide our students with the academic access necessary for advancing the frontiers of knowledge and improving the quality of life for individuals across the world.”

Spring 2018 | connect

Victoria Lewis and Joelle Hopkins.

Prizes of $10,000 and $5,000 will be awarded to the two best social impact pitches presented at the 2018 Global Health and Innovation Conference at Yale University. Lewis and Hopkins made it through the first round and recently moved through the second round as well with their video pitch.

Meredith Gartin, a visiting assistant professor with CHSP’s Global Health Initiative, said she is pleased that both Lewis and Hopkins “have learned more about exclusion and human rights and have really deepened their understanding of what it means to be a vulnerable, underserved person.” “(Lewis and Hopkins) have come up with a way to create an intervention that may serve that population,” Gartin said.

“When we learned about the problems opioids are creating in communities, the risk of HIV and other diseases associated with needles…this really developed into a passion for me in dealing with this problem,” Hopkins said.

Gartin added that Lewis and Hopkins have applied public health practice to something previously only used as a tool to gather used needles. She said in addition to working the pitch for the competition, there are efforts to obtain individual donations for the necessary materials and to begin working with engineers on development. Support and funding have already been received from the College of Health Sciences and Professions and the Center for Entrepreneurship. Interested parties should email gartin@ohio.edu.

Once constructed, the plan is to coordinate with John Wesley Theological College in Budapest to implement installation of the boxes in the community. They also hope to assess the feasibility of implementing the project locally in areas including Cleveland and Columbus.

17

OPIOID RESPONSE

Opioid Epidemic A

Glance

AT

THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE United States in 2016

116 19,413 2.1 m 11.5 m People die every day from opioid-related drug overdoses

Deaths attributed to overdosing on synthetic opioids other than methadone

People misused prescription opioids for the first time

People misused prescription opioids

Source: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services

U.S. Overdose Deaths involving Opioids 2000-2016

14

All Opioids Combined

13 12

Deaths per 100,000 population

11 10 9 8 7

Other Synthetic Opioids

6

(e.g. fentanyl, tramadol)

5

Heroin Natural and Semi-Synthetic Opioids

4

(e.g. oxycodone, hydrocodone)

3 2

Methadone

1 0 2000

‘01

’02

‘03

’04

‘05

’06

‘07

’08

‘09

’10

‘11

’12

‘13

’14

‘15 ’16

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

NOW WHAT?

Our region, state and federal government have stepped up to work toward a solution as the opioid epidemic continues to affect the whole nation.

State of Ohio Response

2011

House Bill 93

Treatment Center

Southern Ohio Addiction Treatment Center is established in Jackson County, addressing a gap in local services for individuals who are opioid-dependent.

2014

Project DAWN

The Ohio Department of Health provided funding to Athens County for a naloxone education and distribution program called Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided with Naloxone). The state launched Project DAWN in 2012.

2015

Health Resource Toolkit

The Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team releases a Health Resource Toolkit for healthcare professionals to address opioid abuse.

2016

Illegal Drugs Increase

Ohio State Highway Patrol seizes 167 pounds of heroin and 64,708 prescription pills. Arrests for illegal drugs increase 136% from 2010 (5,643) to 2016 (13,334).

2017

Athens Actions START Program

Governor Kasich signs HB 93 into law to shut down “pill mill” pain clinics that fuel Ohio’s opioid crisis.

2013

Athens County Response to the Opioid Epidemic

Acupuncture

Treatment Services

2012

Ohio Department of Medicaid introduces coverage of medication-assisted treatment services.

Start Talking!

2014

Governor Kasich launches Start Talking!, a statewide youth drug prevention initiative that promotes having conversations with our youth about being drug-free.

Heroin Partnership Project

2015

The Ohio Department of Public Safety Office of Criminal Justice Services contributes $100,000 to the Heroin Partnership Project, a collaborative effort of federal, state and local agencies focused on reducing heroin and opiate overdose deaths in Ross County.

Fentanyl Increases

2016

Ohio State Highway Patrol crime lab encounters a significant increase in fentanyl submissions: 175 submissions in 2016 compared to 103 in 2015.

Limiting Opioids

2017

New rules limit the amount of opioids that can be prescribed for acute pain to seven days for adults and five for minors.

Ohio becomes the first state in the Midwest to offer acupuncture as a covered service through the Ohio Department of Medicaid as a non-opioid alternative treatment.

Needle Exchange and Project DAWN Providing unused needles and NARCAN anonymously through the city-county health department

Overdose Prevention and Treatment Team Assisting and encouraging detox and recovery

Opioid Navigator Connecting patients, families, and physicians with opioid resources, support, etc.

Athens HOPE Working on opioid education, prevention, and community-building events

Federal Response to the Opioid Epidemic

Five Strategies Improving access to treatment and recovery services Promoting use of overdose-reversing drugs Strengthening our understanding of the epidemic through better public health surveillance Providing support for cutting edge research on pain and addiction Advancing better practices for pain management

Source: Ohio Department of Health Spring 2018 | connect

Mentoring parents who are currently misusing opioids and are involved with Child Protective Services

Source: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services 19

OPIOID RESPONSE

Learning to save lives Stop an overdose, save a life

T

aylor Smith, collapsed in a chair in his dormitory room, a needle hanging from his arm, is unconscious and only capable of shallow breathing. Two friends arrive to study and immediately respond to the scene before them.

“It was a great simulation and I think the students did a great job,” Sickles said. “We need this in the community. People need to be involved so we can stop this death from happening.”

“Taylor, why are you sleeping? You know we have to study,” one of the students remarks as she enters Smith’s room.

We need this in the the simulation is powerful tool community. People ina creating more need to be involved so awareness of what an overdose can look like we can stop this death and how NARCAN, the from happening.” brand name of the drug

The two students notice their friend is unresponsive and that his lips are blue. They check his eyes and find the pupils small.

“There’s a needle here. He must have overdosed!

Look for a NARCAN kit,” the second student said.

“Call 9-1-1.”

Thankfully, this scene at Ohio University wasn’t real, but rather part of a training exercise created to increase awareness and knowledge of the lifesaving effects of naloxone. CHSP debuted this unique NARCAN simulation on April 16.

In the simulation, Smith is a 20-year-old student whose friends are concerned with his increased partying, significant mood changes and a decline in his grades. Upon finding Smith unconscious, his friends call for help and then administer the opioid reversal drug NARCAN through his nasal passage. Within seconds Smith groggily regains consciousness.

The simulation not only demonstrated signs of an overdose and the proper administration of NARCAN, it also addressed concerns students might have in such as situation, such as fear that a friend will get in trouble or face academic consequences.

Sherleena Buchman, assistant professor in CHSP’s School of Nursing, led a 12-student interprofessional team from the college in creating the simulation. The simulation was held in front of invited community members, healthcare professionals and media. During the simulation, the audience — which included Sandy Sickles, clinical director of Hopewell Health Center in Athens — maintained a fixed gaze on the monitors.

20

Sickles added that

naloxone, is administered.

“The growing opioid epidemic necessitates students preparing to work in healthcare fields be trained in how to administer NARCAN and also prompts questions about everyone being trained,” said Rebecca Robison-Miller, chair of Athens HOPE. “There is growing likelihood that anyone could find themselves in a situation in which they encounter someone who has overdosed and needs NARCAN.” The timing of the simulation coincides with a recent advisory issued by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams of “Be prepared. Get naloxone. Save a life.”

Adams’ advisory is the first made by a Surgeon General in more than a decade.

“Over the past 15 years, individuals, families and communities across our nation have been tragically affected by the opioid epidemic with the number of overdose deaths from prescription and illicit opioids doubling from 2010 to 2016,” Adams wrote. “Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that is used to temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose … Expanding the awareness and availability of this medication is a key part of the public health response to the opioid epidemic.”

Buchman said she hopes Adams’ advisory will lead to greater access and affordability of naloxone.

“I think our students did a great job representing our college and the University and I’m very proud of what they did,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that we have to be prepared for this but we are fortunate that we have an antidote we can give to reverse the effect of an opioid overdose.”

View the Narcan simulation exercise at www.ohio.edu/chsp/ Click here to view the community-engagement/opioid-initiatives/index.cfmSpring 2018 | connect

NARCAN simulation video

ALUMNI • DONORS

I

must tell you something. CHSP is an inspiring place to work. Not only are my colleagues engaged in fabulous projects — exciting research, thoughtful community engagement, outstanding mentoring — but I also get to learn about all the wonderful things that our alumni are doing as well. And sometimes these overlap.

The pages of this issue of Connect highlight some of our alumni and their work to fight the opioid crisis.

Rebecca Robison-Miller, a 1999 child and family studies graduate, is CHSP’s director of college and community partnerships and one of the co-founders of Athens HOPE. Several other CHSP alumni are part of Athens HOPE as well — all committed professionals in the region working to help make a difference in the community: Laura Bobo, ’85 social work, with Athens County Children Services; Brittany Jarvis, ’13 nursing and ’17 master’s in health administration, with Ohio Health O’Bleness Hospital; Jenny Schwirian, ’94 social work, with Athens Behavioral Health; and a future alumna — Paige Graham, a current child and family studies student.

We also see other alumni working hard to battle the opioid issue. Many of our physical therapy alumni are working to promote physical therapy in lieu of opioid prescriptions — something that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tara Legar, ’02 physical therapy, touches on this on page seven.

Our current students and future alumni are also focused on the effect that opioids are having across our region and country. The BSN Student Organization’s Purple Gala raised money to support Serenity Grove, a transitional home for women in recovery and in 2016 Lecturer Juli Miller’s community and public health students chose the epidemic as a class service learning project. They sponsored events on OHIO Heroin Epidemic Awareness Day including a panel discussion and donated funds raised to support Tyler’s Light, an organization that educates people about drug addiction and raises awareness of the crisis.

I’m sure many of you reading this are also involved in activities around this issue. We thank you for your dedication and commitment to prevention, treatment and awareness. And as always, we’d love to hear from you and learn about your activities. Please email us at chspalumni@ohio.edu.

Best regards,

Elizabeth Jones Assistant Dean for Outreach and Engagement Spring 2018 | connect

Click here to give today!

21

NEW • NOW • NEXT

POINTS OF PRIDE

CHSP student athletic trainers

To see a complete list of CHSP’s 2017 Points of Pride visit www.ohio.edu/chsp/about/points-of-pride.cfm

help more than

student athletes at 38 regional high schools

100%

First-time pass rate on national certifying exam by inaugural physician assistant class

alumni living across the world

enrolled CHSP students

Not just learning 22

Spring 2018 | connect

Creation of the

2

PATHS Academy

Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health

A broad collaborative effort focused on improving Ohio’s public health outcomes includes an opioid-focused research team

Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions and Columbus State Community College hosted PATHS2 Academy (Professions Aligned Toward Health Sciences and Human Services Academy), a three-day camp designed for rising 10th-12th grade students in Central Ohio to explore healthcare careers. In 2017, students from more than 15 central Ohio high schools participated!

First all-student interprofessional conference was held in 2017 (by students, for students) called

Interprofessional Education and Practice in Healthcare

Partnering with The Ohio Buckeye Blitz, Ohio’s only semi-pro Quad Rugby team, the OHIO physical therapy student organization raises community awareness and funds for adaptive sports programs.

The Time is Now

1,500lbs of supplies were flown to residents of Puerto Rico through the Hurricane Maria Relief Effort.

also giving back Spring 2018 | connect

23

Introducing new programs This degree is one of only a handful of its kind in the country. The MGH is convenient and can be completed simultaneously with other well-established master’s programs such as the Master of Public Health.

Master of Global Health

• Expand knowledge base in global

• Multiple degree options

health field • Online or blended program • Customizable to areas of interest

• Opportunities for fieldwork and

research with established interdisciplinary international programs ohio.edu/global-health

MSN AdultGerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

PsychiatricMental Health Post-Master’s Certificate

Nurse Educator Post-Master’s Certificate

New for fall 2018, the Master of Nursing Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program expands the knowledge and skills of BSN-prepared nurses through an individualized program of study.

• Six semesters in length, two courses

• Bridges the gap between the physician

each semester • Online format with four on-campus intensives

and bedside nurse • Certifies graduates for work in acute care settings ohio.edu/chsp/nrse

Designed for those who hold national certification as advanced practice registered nurses and wish to expand their knowledge in psychiatric and mental health, the Psychiatric-Mental Health Post-Master’s Certificate helps professionals make treatment decisions for those with mental health disorders that impact physical, emotional and/or psychological well-being.

• Expands skillsets for APRNs working in

a number of clinical situations

• Four semesters • One campus visit ohio.edu/chsp/nrse

This certificate is designed for nurses who hold an MSN and wish to add teaching skills to their clinical expertise. Certificate holders will be prepared to work in the classroom and in practice settings to prepare and mentor current and future nurses.

• Enrolling now for spring 2019!

Looking for an online program?

• Three semesters • One campus visit ohio.edu/chsp/nrse

To see a complete list of our online programs visit ohio.edu/chsp/about/online-programs.cfm

NEW • NOW • NEXT

Congratulations

Class of 2018!

Check your email for a special personalized video from the college!

Can you smell the food?

Can you see the crowd?

Can you hear “Bobcat first down”?

Come and cheer for your favorite team, the OHIO Bobcats!

Saturday, October 20, 2018 Homecoming Breakfast 8:15-9:45 a.m. in Grover Center Spring 2018 | connect

25

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAID ATHENS, OH PERMIT NO. 100

College of Health Sciences and Professions Grover Center, W379 1 Ohio University Drive Athens, OH 45701

CHSP: EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION U.S. News & World Report Rankings for 2018

#37 #46 #46 Doctor of Clinical Audiology

Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology

Doctor of Physical Therapy

TOP 30% 2017-2018

TOP 30% 2017-2018

Master of Social Work

Master of Science in Nursing

For the Best Nursing Schools rankings, U.S. News surveyed the 552 nursing schools with master's or doctoral programs accredited in late summer 2017 by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The rankings are based on a weighted average of 14 indicators.

All other health program rankings are based on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. Only fully accredited programs in good standing during the survey period were ranked.