As the leading cause of death of Americans under the age of 50 and with 64,000 overdose deaths in the United States in 2016 alone, the opioid epidemic is a top priority for many communities.
During the December 2017 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Winter Leadership Summit, the Public Health Foundation (PHF) facilitated a workshop that used the population health driver diagram framework to gather input from more than 30 state and territorial health officials on the drivers for addressing the opioid epidemic. The resulting state-level draft driver diagram includes innovative ideas such as improving statewide drug monitoring policies, instituting Project ECHO at new sites to increase clinic capacity, and addressing the social determinants of health that contribute to the opioid epidemic. The workshop was conducted by PHF’s Ron Bialek, President and Jack Moran, Senior Quality Advisor. PHF has previously used this framework to facilitate cross-sector alignment and to address emerging or current public health issues.
PHF also revised an opioid population health driver diagram with local health department officials at the National Association of County and City Health Officials Annual Meeting in July 2017, that was originally created at the May 2016 Practical Playbook meeting.
Use one or both of these draft driver diagrams with your organization, collaborative, or committee to start or continue a conversation on addressing the opioid epidemic in your community. For technical assistance launching an opioid coalition or customizing a population health driver diagram in your community, contact Ron Bialek at [email protected] or (202)218-4420.
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