Summary: The second episode of the VHA Innovation Ecosystem podcast, VHA:IE, features three programs focused on addressing opioid abuse. During this episode, you will meet the pain management team at the Tomah VA Medical Center, the team behind VA’s Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) Program, and the leadership of non-profit Project Lazarus. The first program, Pain University, is a comprehensive pain treatment program for Veterans that uses pain management materials and instruction to educate Veterans about alternatives to opioids and empower them to self-manage their pain without medications. Through the program, which originated at the Tomah VA, Veterans can take courses that range from basic physical pain management to electives like yoga, which are adaptable based on the needs of Veterans and availability at the facility. Dr. Kris Eneberg-Boldon, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PMRS) Manager, and Dr. Wes Kurszewski, a physical therapist and course instructor, discuss Pain University’s coursework and how it improves quality of life for Veterans struggling with chronic pain. The second VA effort highlighted, the Opioid Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) Program, aims to reduce harm and risk of life-threatening opioid-related overdose and deaths among Veterans. Key components of the OEND program include education and training for Veterans and their families regarding opioid overdose prevention, recognition of opioid overdose, opioid overdose rescue response, and issuing naloxone kits. VA Boston Health Care System Patient Safety Manager Pamela Bellino, Dr. Elizabeth Oliva, OEND Program Coordinator, and Dr. Jennifer Burden, Deputy Director of Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs in VA’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, explain the motivation to scale OEND, barriers to making naloxone more widely available, and the program’s impact. Lastly, Fred Wells Brason II, Founder and CEO of Project Lazarus, and Darrell Stone, a Certified Peer Support Specialist, share how the non-profit provides training and technical assistance to communities and clinicians addressing prescription medication issues. Project Lazarus leverages experience, data, and compassion to empower communities and individuals to prevent overdoses and opioid poisonings, establish effective addiction treatment and support, and meet the needs of those living with pain. Episode Resources: US Department of Veterans Affairs Diffusion of Excellence VA Innovators Network Pain University Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) Program Project Lazarus VA Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, press 1) Key Episode Quotes: "One of our goals is to help supplement the opiate safety initiative to reduce opiates, but at the same time to prevent opiate-use from ever starting." -- Dr. Kristin Eneberg-Boldon, Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Service Manager at the Tomah VA Medical Center "No two lower back pains are the same, there are some commonalities, but everybody has their own factors involved in their pain." -- Dr. Wes Kurszewski, Physical Therapist at the Tomah VA Medical Center "The problem is [that] naloxone is not readily available in many hospital settings where someone might experience an opioid overdose." -- Pam Bellino, Patient Safety Manager at VA Boston Healthcare System "[Naloxone] is an amazing medication because it is inert unless opioids are present. That means it won't have any effect unless there are opioids in the system." -- Dr. Elizabeth Oliva, Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) Program "I was also called upon to intervene in soldiers who had developed substance use issues at Fort Bragg to help them change what needed to be changed in order for them not to be dishonorably discharged and lose their Veteran benefits." -- Fred Wells Brason II, Project Lazarus
