Battling the opiate crisis on the front lines

Jim Johnson is the director of the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy, and an advocate on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. During his previous job as the police chief from Huntington, WV he spearheaded a comprehensive initiative of education, syringe exchanges, and Naloxone distribution that has shown promising results in a community where up to 10 percent of the population is plagued with opioid dependence. His advocacy and programs have gained him national recognition, and he shared his experience at TEDMED where I met with him to speak further about the opioid epidemic. How did you get involved in the fight against opioids? My background was law enforcement. I had various roles over the years from administrating the jail to being the chief of police, and as I was retiring from being chief, I approached the mayor’s office about seeking solutions on improving drug control policy and law enforcement strategies in our community. This request resulted in the formation of the Mayor’s Office of Drug Control Policy that I led. Then when I was about to retire from that role, the state called me to help implement the initiatives in Huntington comprehensively at a state level which is what I am doing now. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Meds Emergency Medicine Psychiatry Source Type: blogs