Understanding Opioids Educational Presentation to be Held Oct. 23 in Conway

By Ben Boulden

The presentation will be held 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Conway First United Methodist Church, 1610 Prince Street. For more information or to register, please call Danielle Adkisson at 501-329-3801. Space is limited.

The program is presented by the Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and AARP. The collaborative is funded by a Health Resources and Services Administration grant of $3.7 million for a Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program.

Presenter Leah Tobey, D.P.T., will discuss how pain works, examples of opioids, non-opioid pain alternatives, state and local resources, and provide a comprehensive take home book.

In the United States, over 1,000 people are treated daily in emergency rooms for misusing prescription opioids. As of 2014, one out of every eight Americans who seek treatment for substance abuse is over 50 years of age.

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world’s largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP on Twitter and AARP Arkansas on Facebook.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report named UAMS Medical Center the state’s Best Hospital; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide; and named six areas as high performing — cancer, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

 

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