Physicians, physician assistants, nurses, healthcare administrators and other medical professionals from across the state will gather at the Music City Center in Nashville on Sept. 14-15, to share best practices for pain management and strategies to combat Tennessee’s opioid abuse epidemic.
The second annual TriMED Healthcare Education Summit offers 20 hours of education on a variety of healthcare topics across various medical specialties. This year’s conference is designed to help healthcare providers combat Tennessee’s number one public health issue with an emphasis on effective, non-opioid pain management therapies for patients.
Among the program highlights:
· Panel discussion with the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominees so attendees can hear where the candidates stand on healthcare issues in Tennessee.
· Opioid panel discussion featuring physicians and other subject matter experts representing diverse medical specialties such as pain management and emergency medicine.
· Physician wellness course to help doctors better understand and address high rates of physician stress, burnout, substance abuse and suicide.
· Update from Tennessee Department of Health Chief Medical Officer David Reagan, MD, on the rollout of Governor Haslam’s TN Together plan for addressing the opioid epidemic. New laws restricting initial opioid prescriptions and dispensing took effect July 1. The Tennessee Medical Association has produced resources for doctors and other healthcare providers at tnmed.org/opioids, including a new 2-hour online course to satisfy the Board of Medical Examiners’ requirement for safe and proper prescribing education for all licensed physicians in Tennessee.
Nashville-area residents can join the fight against prescription drug misuse and abuse by dropping off unused or expired medications at TriMED’s Prescription Drug Takeback Day on Friday, Sept. 14, between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Representatives from Count it! Lock it! Drop it! will be outside on the Music City Center patio on 5th Avenue South collecting unused prescription medication. Pharmacists and law enforcement officers will be on hand to accept the medications and safely dispose of them, no questions asked. The event aims to provide a safe, convenient location to dispose of opioids and other medications and to raise awareness about the potential risks of abusing prescription drugs.
Partner organizations hosting TriMED include the American College of Physicians – Tennessee Chapter, Count It! Lock It! Drop It!, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Tennessee Medical Association, Tennessee Pain Society and the Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging, in partnership with the Veterans Administration, Tennessee Geriatric Society and Tennessee Association of Long Term Care Physicians.
Find information about the TriMED Healthcare Education Summit, visit trimedtn.com.