Opioid Task Force

The University of Cincinnati/ UC Health Opioid Task Force will demonstrate its commitment to this significant public health issue by bringing together researchers, educators, clinicians and leaders/advocates who are dedicated to having a positive impact on opioid addiction locally, regionally and nationally.

• Aligning expertise and resources to be competitive for research opportunities to continue as a national leader in opioid-related research.
• Formalizing pathways to care across our health care systems, clinics, programs and agencies.
• Advocating for best practices in evidence-based treatments and prevention.
• Enhancing interprofessional training of health care providers and students about innovative approaches to the identification and treatment of chronic pain and opioid addiction.
• Improving the health of our community through partnerships and engagement.

• In April 2017, our task force was formed, with co-chairs:
  • Neil MacKinnon, PhD, Dean,  James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy
  • Melissa DelBello, MD, Stanley and Mickey Kaplan Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, College of Medicine
• and created the following four working groups:
  • Interprofessional Research: Chair - Theresa Winhusen, PhD
  • Interprofessional Education: Chair – Kelly Lyle, MHA, MS
  • Interprofessional Practice: Chairs – Rick Ryan, MD;  Christine Wilder, MD;  Stewart Wright, MD
  • Community Outreach and Engagement: Chairs - Mike Carroll, with support from the UC Academic Health Center and UC Health Communication Teams
• Over 70 faculty and clinicians have joined the task force.

• Butler County overdose epidemic traced to 1990s medical practices
  
• Living With HIV: Fueled by Heroin, HIV Makes an Alarming Resurgence in Cincinnati
• Cincinnati Startup, UC Awarded $1.5M to Combat Opioid Abuse