Indiana Rural Health Association to combat opioid crisis
$750,000 three-year grant to create and fund Indiana Opioid Consortium with seven clinical and educational partners to address opioid epidemic at rural grassroots level
TERRE HAUTE, Indiana – A new Indiana Opioid Consortium is now gearing up to combat what its new director describes as a “a crisis that has exploded in Indiana and has severely impacted rural communities and residents.” Dr. Amnah Anwar, the program director of the new statewide consortium, said the crisis in the Hoosier state has reached “epidemic proportions.”
In addition to a renewed focus on prevention, the Consortium will focus on both incre
asing the availability of behavioral health services for individuals with Opioid-Use Disorder (OUD) in rural areas and helping ensure that professionals and community members associated with dedicated Opioid Treatment Facilities (physical and telehealth-based) have needed training and education tools.
The Indiana Opioid Consortium will be funded by a three-year grant of $750,000 (total) from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In a statement announcing the grant, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, MD, said: “No corner of our country, from rural areas to urban centers, has escaped the scourge of the opioid crisis.” Dr. Anwar noted that Indiana “has seen a 500% increase from 1999 in drug poisoning deaths.” Citing data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), she added that “Indiana has seen an astoundingly high level of opioid prescriptions per capita.” CDC data shows that Indiana providers write an average of 109 painkiller prescriptions per 100 people, which puts Indiana at the 9th highest in the United States.
In addition to improving access to treatment and recovery services in a primary care setting, the Consortium is expected to contribute to research on pain and addiction and advancing better practices for pain management.
Seven clinical and educational partners will comprise the Indiana Opioid Consortium. They are: Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA)/Indiana Rural Schools Clinic Network (IRSCN)/Indiana Statewide Rural Health Network (InSRHN); Fayette Regional Health System (FRHS) – Fayette County, IN; Indiana; University Health Bedford Hospital (IUH Bedford) – Lawrence County, IN; Logansport Memorial Hospital (LMH) – Cass County, Indiana; mdlogix – Owings Mills, Maryland; New Avenues – South Bend, Indiana; and WhiteBark Health Academy – Terre Haute, Indiana.
The Indiana Opioid Consortium will tackle the development of a regional model for OUD identification, treatment and recovery services in rural areas and rural communities, according to Dr. Anwar. “We plan to help address the opioid epidemic by deployment of a universal screening and creating more accessible, discreet treatment options for those presently struggling with addiction,” she said. The consortium will help set up a referral system to promote lasting recovery and a preventive educational model.
“We’re pleased and privileged that such a high-level experienced team of partners will serve with Dr. Anwar to combat this epidemic,” said Don Kelso, IRHA executive director. “These medical and educational groups are expected to effectively join with community partners to address critical issues of this emerging crisis.”
The work of the new Consortium has already begun, according to Kelso.
This project is/was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number H1URH31443, under the Rural Health Opioid Program for $250,000. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
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About the Indiana Rural Health Association
The Indiana Rural Health Association was organized in 1997 and is a nonprofit organization working to enhance the health and well-being of rural populations in Indiana through leadership, education, advocacy, collaboration, and resource development. The strength of the organization is through the present diverse membership and the founding organizers who are committed to impacting the health of citizens through the identification of rural health issues and through advocacy roles in both the public and private sectors. IRHA membership is made up of 3,300 diverse individuals and organizations, making it the largest state rural health association in the nation, and a nationally recognized leader in rural health care. For more information, visit www.indianaruralhealth.org