The MetroHealth System in Cleveland plans to open an Office of Opioid Safety on July 1, 2017.
Here are five things to know.
1. The office — the first of its kind in northeast Ohio —will focus on education, advocacy and treatment, according to a news release.
2. MetroHealth said the office will offer educational opportunities for providers and the community, communication tools "to help providers connect better with at-risk patients and resources to help patients with pain management and addiction recovery."
3. Within the office, MetroHealth will use data and analytics to identify patients who may be at risk for opioid abuse, the release states. The system said data from prescribing patterns will be used to educate providers on policy and best practices for safe opioid use.
4. The office will be led by MetroHealth emergency medicine physician Joan Papp, MD. Dr. Papp is the founder and medical director of Cuyahoga County's Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone), a community-based overdose education and naloxone distribution program. She also serves as chairperson of the healthcare policy subcommittee of the U.S. Attorney's Heroin and Opioid Task Force.
5. Commenting on the office, Bernie Boulanger, MD, executive vice president and chief clinical officer of MetroHealth, said in the release: "MetroHealth has been at the epicenter of the opioid overdose epidemic. Cuyahoga County experienced nearly double the number of opioid overdoses in 2016 than the year before. We have the skill, experience and data to make a significant impact in curbing this issue and we are fortunate to have Dr. Papp lead this effort."