University of Kentucky MBA alum and current Chief Medical Officer at UK Healthcare, Dr. Phillip Chang, is chairing an advisory committee to fight the current opioid epidemic in Kentucky.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse ranks Kentucky among the top 10 states with the highest opioid-related overdose deaths, and Kentucky’s hospitals are on the frontline in the fight to help the state recover. To assist the state’s hospitals in this battle, the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) is partnering with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services as part of the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort (KORE) to launch the Kentucky Statewide Opioid Stewardship (KY SOS) program.
In response, Dr. Chang will chair an advisory committee to develop standards for the program. The committee is comprised of clinical experts in emergency medicine, addictions treatment, pharmacy and nursing, along with hospital administration and a former patient. These experts, along with KHA staff, will assist the state’s hospitals with implementation and will gather data to track their progress. Additionally, this initiative will provide a voluntary certification opportunity for Kentucky hospitals to demonstrate their actions and commitments to their patients and communities in combating the state’s opioid epidemic.
KY SOS will focus on reducing opioid overprescribing and improving safe opioid use by providing hospitals and health systems with education and resources on how to attain the highest level of performance on opioid stewardship. So far, 62 hospitals have made a commitment to the program and more facilities continue to join their ranks.
“This is the first statewide program of its kind where all hospitals in Kentucky collaborate together to combat the opioid crisis at its root – inappropriate or excess opioid prescribing,” said Chang. “We will leverage data, analytics and the spirit of healthy competition amongst Kentucky hospitals to reduce and eliminate opioid addiction while still ensuring adequate pain control. This preventive work will complement the tremendous efforts through our state on recovery, rehabilitation and harm reduction.”
Dr. Chang is an alum of the Professional MBA (For Leaders in Healthcare) program at the University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics.
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