Search Site close Close
News

Report, Webinar Focus on Impact of COVID-19 and the Opioid Epidemic

Published Date:

SPRINGFIELD, IL – A new report describes the impact of COVID-19 on the existing rural opioid epidemic and identified opportunities to treat opioid addiction and reduce fatalities in rural Illinois. 

“The opioid epidemic continues to hurt rural regions in Illinois and the pandemic has worsened the economic and social factors that lead to opioid misuse,” said Dr. Sameer Vohra, Chair, SIU Medicine Department of Population Science and Policy. “We need to invest in new strategies and resources that prevent, treat and build appropriate systems of recovery for those struggling from the opioid epidemic.” 

Southern Illinois University (SIU) Medicine Department of Population Science and Policy, SIU Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, The University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health and the SIU Medicine Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development recommend the following actions to combat the rural opioid epidemic. 

  • Increase the availability of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) centers, including virtual treatment and remote counseling options.
  • Engage justice-involved populations to reduce opioid use disorder.
  • Sustain and dramatically expand harm reduction services into rural areas to prevent overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases.

The Rural Health Summit will host a webinar at 12 p.m. on Nov. 16 to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted the rural opioid epidemic. Register for the webinar HERE and see the schedule of upcoming webinars.

The policy recommendations are the result of discussions from rural health stakeholders, community leaders, legislators, physicians and experts from organizations throughout Illinois and build on the Rural Health Summit’s initial report, “Building a Healthier Rural Illinois: Understanding and Addressing the Challenges of COVID-19.” 

The Rural Health Summit is releasing monthly topic-specific policy briefs and hosting corresponding webinars through January 2022 on topics of an aging rural population, mental health, public health systems, nutrition and fitness, children’s growth and development, workforce development, opioids, health and housing and economic development. 

More from SIU News

Jonas Konan, DMSc, PA-C

Jonas Gileguy Konan, DMSc, PA-C: A Journey of Service, Leadership, and Lifelong Learning

Jonas Gileguy Konan’s path to becoming a respected leader in neurosurgery and a distinguished SIU DMSc alumnus began long before he stepped into an operating room. His commitment to patient care took
801

SIU Medicine launches national search for next dean, provost and CEO

Southern Illinois University Medicine has launched a national search for its next dean, provost and CEO. The search will be conducted in partnership with Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm specializing in academic medicine and higher education leadership.
Ginger Meyer and Allison Jackson

Ginger Meyer honored for leadership in trauma recovery

Ginger Meyer has spent more than twenty years helping children and families in southern Illinois heal from trauma, earning national recognition from the Academy on Violence and Abuse. As clinical director of SIU School of Medicine’s Children’s Medical and Mental Health Resource Network, she has expanded access to trauma-informed care in rural communities and kept families at the center of the work.