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>> BLACKFORD COUNTY IS A HOT
SPOT IN INDIANA'S OPIOID
EPIDEMIC. THE OVERDOSE DEATH
RATE IN THE RURAL AREA NORTH OF
MUNCIE WAS DOUBLE THE STATE'S
AVERAGE DURING THE PEAK OF
OPIOID MISUSE IN INDIANA. TWO OF
THE BIGGEST NAMES IN INDIANA ARE
NOW COMBINING FORCES TO HELP.
BUSINESS OF HEALTH REPORTER
KYLIE VELETA HAS MORE.
KYLIE.
>> THANK YOU, GERRY.
TWO OF THE STATE'S LARGEST
ORGANIZATIONS, PURDUE UNIVERSITY
AND INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH,
ARE SPEARHEADING A NEW EFFORT IN
BLACKFORD AND JAY COUNTIES.
PURDUE LANDED A
ONE-MILLION-DOLLAR FEDERAL GRANT
TO LEAD A NEW LOCAL EFFORT
CALLED THE CONSORTIUM FOR
OPIOIDS RESPONSE ENGAGEMENT-EAST
CENTRAL INDIANA, OR CORE ECI.
IT'S DEDICATED TO BATTLING
SUBSTANCE ABUSE LOCALLY, AN EVEN
MORE CRITICAL EFFORT AFTER THE
ISOLATION AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS
OF COVID.
JOINING ME NOW TO TELL US MORE
ABOUT THE PROJECT IS DAVE HYATT,
PRESIDENT OF IU HEALTH BLACKFORD
HOSPITAL. AND MELANIE CLINE,
DIRECTOR OF PURDUE HEALTHCARE
ADVISORS.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING ON THE
SHOW TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> DAVE, LET'S START WITH YOU.
THESE AREAS ARE JUST NORTH,
NORTHEAST OF MUNCIE, VERY RURAL
AREAS.
TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR THIS
PROJECT IN THIS AREA IN
PARTICULAR.
>> SURE.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT JAY AND
BLACKFORD COUNTIES, BOTH ARE
VERY RURAL, SMALL POPULATIONS,
BUT AS YOU HEARD FROM GERRY,
THEY'VE BEEN DRAMATICALLY
IMPACTED BY THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC.
WE ARE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
SHORTAGE AREAS, WHICH MEANS THAT
BASED ON OUR POPULATION WE DON'T
HAVE ENOUGH HEALTHCARE ACCESS
FOR OUR POPULATION, SO WHILE WE
TRY TO PROVIDE THAT ACCESS, WE
DO HAVE SOME GAPS ESPECIALLY IN
THAT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
WHAT IS UNIQUE, WE HAVE TWO
COUNTIES RIGHT NEXT TO EACH
OTHER, BOTH WITH I.U. HEALTH
HOSPITALS, BLACKFORD AND JAY,
AND THANKS TO PURDUE WE ALSO
HAVE PURDUE EXTENSION OFFICES IN
EACH COUNTY, WHICH HAVE REALLY
MADE THIS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
WORK COLLABORATIVE, NOT JUST IN
OUR OWN COMMUNITIES, BUT ACROSS
COUNTY LINES.
BECAUSE WE ARE A REGION, AND WE
AREN'T AN ISLAND
>> YOU MENTIONED THAT
COLLABORATION, 7 COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED, OF
COURSE WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO
NAME THEM ALL.
MELANIE, EXPLAIN BIG PICTURE
WHAT IS EVERYONE WORKING
TOGETHER TO DO.
TELL US SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
THE CONSORTIUM IS DOING RIGHT
NOW.
>> SO, YES.
THE CONSORTIUM IS WORKING ACROSS
SECTORAL GROUPS, WITH THE GOAL
OF COLLABORATING AND REALLY
LIFTING UP BOTH COMMUNITIES IN
RELATIONSHIP TO PREVENTION,
TREATMENT, AND RECOVERY FOR
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER
>> DAVE, YOU MENTIONED OFF
CAMERA A BIG PART OF THIS IS
REDUCING THE STIGMA, AND
MELANIE, I'M SURE YOU CAN
COMMENT ON THAT, TOO.
AND ALSO REALLY COMBINING FORCES
WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
CAN YOU GIVE US JUST A LITTLE
MORE DETAIL ABOUT THOSE TWO
THINGS, DAVE.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, WE THINK ABOUT
SUBSTANCE ABUSE RECOVERY, YOU
KNOW, IT IS NOT GOING TO BE
SOLVED BY ANY ONE ORGANIZATION.
WE CAN'T LEGISLATE OURSELVES OUT
OF THIS PROBLEM, IT IS NOT UP TO
LAW ENFORCEMENT ALONE TO SOLVE
THIS PROBLEM.
WE AS A HEALTHCARE SYSTEM CAN'T
SOLVE IT ON OUR OWN.
THE THING THAT THIS GRANT IS
GOING TO HELP US DO IS TO BRING
DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PLAYERS
TOGETHER SO WE CAN ALL TAKE A
LOOK AND BE HONEST WITH
OURSELVES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM
THAT WE'RE ALL FACING AND ALL
AFFECTED BY, IT AFFECTS EVERY
WALK OF LIFE.
WHEN YOU COME TO THESE
COMMUNITIES, NOT A SINGLE PERSON
HASN'T BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS
EPIDEMIC.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE FIRST
STEPS WITH THAT, IT IS COMING
TOGETHER AS A GROUP.
BUT WE HAVE TO REDUCE THE STIGMA
ASSOCIATED WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE,
THERE IS NOT A STIGMA AROUND
DIABETES OR OTHER HEALTHCARE
CONDITIONS, AND WE HAVE TO TREAT
SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS JUST
LIKE THOSE OTHERS.
BECAUSE IF PEOPLE HAVE THESE
ISSUES, IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO GET
TO A POINT WHERE YOU WANT TO
SEEK TREATMENT.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THESE PEOPLE DON'T FEEL THAT
THEY'RE THREATENED BY THEIR
COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ACCESS
TO CARE IS EASY TO GET.
BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, AND
WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT,
WE'RE NEVER GOING TO MAKE A DENT
IN THIS PROBLEM
>> MELANIE, OPIOIDS IS IN THE
NAME OF THIS CONSORTIUM, YOU
MENTIONED THE DRUG PROBLEM IS
ACTUALLY SHIFTING AWAY FROM
OPIOIDS IN THAT AREA NOW.
YOU SAY IT IS MORE ABOUT THE
UNDERLYING CAUSES OF ADDICTION
ISSUES.
CAN YOU SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE
ABOUT THAT.
>> SURE.
I'VE WORKED IN EAST CENTRAL
INDIANA FOR THE LAST COUPLE
YEARS ON THE SUBSTANCE USE
CHALLENGES.
AND WHEN WE EMBARKED ON THE
WORK, WE -- IT WAS REALLY FUNDED
AROUND OPIATES, AND WHAT WE NOW
KNOW AS WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THE
COMMUNITY FOR A COUPLE MONTHS,
THAT THE PROBLEM HAS MOVED TO
METHAMPHETAMINE, SO FRANKLY
CHASING THE DRUG OR THE TYPE OF
SUBSTANCE IS NOT GOING TO REALLY
HELP US TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO -- WE'RE
REALLY LOOKING AT THE UNDERLYING
CAUSES FOR WHY THERE ARE
ADDICTION ISSUES, AND WE REALLY
WANT TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON
THAT.
BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IS GOING
TO BE THE SUSTAINABLE
WE HAVE TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL
IMPACT ON THE PROBLEM
>> YOU MEAN LIKE HEALTH
DISPARITIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
>> UNDERLYING ISSUES AROUND
STRESS, POVERTY, CHILD ABUSE,
GENERALLY ADDICTION
PROBLEMS -- IT IS A PROBLEM OF
CHILDHOOD, STARTS IN CHILDHOOD.
AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO LOOK AT
ALL THE UNDERLYING CAUSES FOR
WHAT THE FAMILY STRESS IS
IMPACTING ON THE CHILD'S
DEVELOPMENT AND THE FAMILY.
AND REALLY LOOK TO WAYS TO
INTERVENE AND INTERRUPT THOSE
CYCLES OF ADDICTION THAT ARE SO
COMMON ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUT PARTICULARLY WE'RE SEEING
THAT IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES.
>> DAVE, JUST A FEW SECONDS
LEFT.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK
OF PURDUE AND I.U. HEALTH AS
RURAL, BOTH HAVE A RURAL
PRESENCE IN INDIANA, RIGHT.
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY, KYLIE.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT I.U. HEALTH
OR PURDUE, WE'RE TWO OF THE
LARGEST ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS
STATE, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK
THAT'S INDIANAPOLIS AND WEST
LAFAYETTE.
BUT I.U. HEALTH IS ONE OF THE
LARGEST PROVIDERS OF RURAL
HEALTHCARE TO HOOSIERS, AND IT
IS IN OUR MISSION TO MAKE
INDIANA ONE OF THE HEALTHIEST
STATES, THAT START NS RURAL
AREAS AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO
CARE.
WE'RE SO EXCITED, I DIDN'T KNOW
IT UNTIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO
THAT PURDUE HAS GOT A LOCATION
IN EVERY COUNTY IN INDIANA.
SO THEY'RE A PERFECT PARTNER FOR
US IN THIS RURAL WORK.
AND WE'RE ABSOLUTELY EXCITED TO
WORK TOGETHER ON THIS.
TWO OF THE GREAT BIG
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE STATE OF
INDIANA
>> ALL RIGHT, DAVE WITH I.U.
HEALTH AND MELANIE WITH PURDUE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING ON THE SHOW,