Home > Opioid Regional Strategy

Regional Opioid Strategy 

Objective(s): 1. the prevention of opioid misuse and abuse through education, diversion prevention, policy and increasing the use of alternative clinical interventions; 2. the early identification of those at risk for substance misuse and abuse to prevent substance; aid in access to treatment and recovery supports in the community.

 
Timeline: November 2016 - ongoing 
Funder: MiHIA Corporate Ambassadors, MiHIA Affiliate Organizations 
Project Coordinator: Katie Trotter (populationhealth@mihia.org
 

MiHIA recognized that while there were significant efforts across the region to address the opioid epidemic there was a distinct opportunity to have a coordinated approach. The Opioid Priority Strategy Workgroup is comprised of representatives from over 30 organizations in MiHIA’s 14-county region. A collaborative of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other healthcare and subject matter experts convenes regularly to achieve the goals and objectives. This Workgroup is dedicated to prevention of opioid misuse and abuse through education, diversion prevention, policy and increasing the use of alternative clinical interventions. Additionally, the workgroup is committed to the early identification of those at risk for substance misuse and abuse to prevent substance use disorder and assessment of patients for the existence of substance use disorder in order to aid in access to treatment and recovery supports in the community.

MiHIA Regional Opioid Strategy Map

USDA Rural Development Opioid Misuse Tool

Opioid Resource Library

Regional Opioid Events

Show All

Significance

Across the nation, opioids were involved in 33,091 deaths in 2015, and opioid overdoses have quadrupled since 1999. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Michigan experienced a 13.3% increase in drug overdose deaths in just one year between 2014 and 2015. Drug overdose is listed as  the leading cause of injury death in 2015. Opioids—both prescription and illicit—are the main driver of drug overdose deaths.

Michigan families are suffering significantly from this crisis. In 2016, 1,689 people died of opioid overdose, this is an increase of 17 times compared to 99 overdose deaths in 1999. The number of overdose deaths is significant in Michigan, according to the Michigan Dept. of Health and Human Services (MDHHS): our state ranks as 18th in the nation for such deaths.Overdose deaths are seen across both genders, age groups, and socio-economic status. More children are entering the foster care system as a result.

Simply put, Opioids are a class of drugs used to relieve or reduce pain. They reduce the intensity of pain signals reaching the brain and affect those brain areas controlling emotion, which diminishes the effects of a painful stimulus. Prescription opioids can be prescribed by doctors to treat moderate to severe pain, but can also have serious risks and side effects. Common types are oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine, and methadone. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever. It is many times more powerful than other opioids and is approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain. Illegally made and distributed fentanyl has been on the rise in several states. Heroin is also an illegal opioid. Heroin use has increased across the U.S. among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels.

Our country and our region have an overabundance of opioid prescriptions. For example, in 2015, there were enough prescriptions for medicating every American 24 hours a day for 21 days. The number of days per prescription also increased 33% from the years 2006 to 2015. Michigan ranks 10th in the nation for opioid prescriptions. In 2015, our state had the equivalent of more than one opioid prescription for every resident. This overabundance coupled with unintended consequence of addiction, lead us into the current crisis.

Goals and Key Strategies

GOAL 1: Identify opportunities for alignment between organizations and offerings to address the opioid epidemic through using evidence-based and promising practices

  • Key Strategy 1: Completion of the Regional Strategy Map by collecting and cataloging existing activities, services, and resources on opioid strategies across the continuum of care occurring in the MiHIA region.
STATUS: In Progress - ongoing collection of services, interventions, initiatives and actions from multiple sectors and regional community partners and coalitions will be added to the MiHIA Opioid Strategy Map resulting in a catalog of current activities and approaches across the region
 

GOAL 2: Develop implementation steps, set milestones, share successes and challenges, present potential “breakthrough opportunities”, and report on progress on Opioid Priority Workgroup action items/deliverables,and/or key projects

  1. Key Strategies: Opioid Workgroup will be able to identify gaps in the strategy map where resources might be applied or reinvested to gain greater impact. Priority focus areas will be determined based upon need for alignment and to address needs. 
STATUS: In Progress - On August 8, 2018, a community coalition accelorator workshop was held which focused on accelerating progress on the solutions by sharing tools, ideas and techniques on specific topics. During the workshop, participants split into Tracks for small-group work sessions. As community partners worked on a specific topic, they will learned about resources and techniques that can then be used in other parts of their comprehensive community strategy in the future.

Performance Measures

Measuring success is critical to MiHIA, as such, this workgroup will work to impact metrics including:
  • Reduction of the prescription rate of opioids across the 14 county region
  • Reduction of hospital visits due to opioids in the MiHIA 14 county region
  • Reduction of opioid overdoses in the MiHIA 14 county region
  • Reduction in rate of death due to opioid poisoning in the MiHIA 14 county region

Tools and Resources

Opioid Strategy Priority Areas 

 On August 8, 2018, X individuals from X organizations and X different sectors, with support of the MiHIA Regional Opioid Strategy Workgroup, worked to analyze and prioritize the focus areas.. The six topics listed below represent the top priority areas of the region as identified.
Michigan Health Improvement Alliance