In the opioid crisis, here's what it takes to save a life | Jan Rader

Summary

A firefighter and nurse from Huntington, West Virginia, shares her experience battling both fires and the opioid epidemic. She highlights the shift in her role from emergency responder to community healer, emphasizing the need to treat substance use disorder with compassion and understanding. By creating programs like the Quick Response Team and offering mental health support for first responders, her community is making strides in reducing overdoses and changing the dynamic of care. The speaker underscores the importance of empathy, collaboration, and community in addressing the opioid crisis.

Takeaways

• 🚒 The speaker has been a firefighter for 24 years in Huntington, West Virginia, leading a team in a male-dominated profession.
• 🩺 Ten years ago, she decided to expand her medical knowledge by earning a nursing degree, recognizing opioid addiction as a growing epidemic.
• 💊 In her county of 95,000 people, there were 1,831 overdoses and 183 deaths in 2017, highlighting the severity of the opioid crisis.
• 🧠 The speaker emphasizes that opioid addiction is a brain disorder, leading to irrational behavior, resistance to treatment, and repeated overdoses.
• 🚑 First responders, including the speaker, are trained to save lives but not to handle long-term issues related to substance use disorder.
• 💬 Huntington has initiated a Quick Response Team (QRT) that visits overdose survivors within 72 hours to offer support and treatment options.
• 🏥 A new specialty clinic called PROACT was opened to provide immediate care and long-term solutions for those suffering from substance use disorder.
• 🧘‍♀️ First responders in Huntington now have access to a self-care program, offering resources like mental health support, yoga, massages, and other stress-relief activities.
• ❤️ The speaker has witnessed a positive change in her team's approach, with firefighters showing more empathy and non-judgmental support during overdose situations.
• 🌍 Huntington, West Virginia, is demonstrating to the rest of the country that change is possible in dealing with the opioid epidemic, with overdose rates down 40% and deaths down 50%.

Q & A

What prompted the speaker to pursue a nursing degree?

The speaker realized that the next big disaster facing her city and others was opioid addiction, which required a deeper understanding of medical care beyond the immediate emergencies firefighters typically handle.

How did the speaker describe the experience of someone who has just overdosed?

She described the person as fragile, embarrassed, and ashamed. When they overdose, they're often woken up by strangers in uniform who have given them naloxone, causing them to feel extremely sick due to withdrawal, leading to defensive and angry reactions.

What challenges do first responders face when dealing with substance use disorder patients?

First responders often feel frustrated and helpless. They are not trained to handle the long-term recovery process, and they frequently encounter the same individuals multiple times without seeing positive outcomes.

How does the speaker suggest first responders need to redefine their role in the opioid epidemic?

The speaker believes first responders need to do more than just save lives in the moment. They must work on rebuilding lives by connecting patients to long-term support and care, shifting from a 'cavalry' approach to a more holistic one.

What is the Quick Response Team (QRT), and what impact has it had?

The Quick Response Team consists of a paramedic, police officer, and members of the recovery and faith communities who visit overdose patients within 72 hours. About 30% of those patients have accepted help, giving first responders a sense of making a real difference.

What is the PROACT clinic, and how does it help with substance use disorder?

The PROACT clinic is a free-standing facility for people with substance use disorder. It provides immediate assessments by addiction specialists and offers treatment options based on individual needs. It also helps clear emergency rooms by offering a referral destination for first responders.

Why was the first responder self-care program introduced, and what does it include?

The self-care program was introduced to address compassion fatigue and PTSD among first responders, who regularly deal with traumatic events. It includes activities like yoga, on-duty massages, cooking classes, and pottery classes to improve their mental health and well-being.

How did the self-care program improve the firefighters' morale?

The program created a more relaxed and positive atmosphere among the firefighters. The speaker noticed that after receiving massages, firefighters were more relaxed and positive, which has also positively impacted their interactions with the community.

What does the speaker believe is the key to addressing the opioid epidemic in Huntington, West Virginia?

The speaker believes that reducing stigma and building community-based programs that focus on compassion and long-term recovery are key to addressing the opioid epidemic. Huntington has already seen a 40% reduction in overdoses and a 50% drop in overdose deaths.

How does the speaker address the criticism that the compassionate response to opioid addiction is due to race?

The speaker acknowledges the criticism that the current compassionate approach might be influenced by the fact that many overdoses now affect white communities, but emphasizes that people of all races are suffering from substance use disorder, and the priority is to prevent unnecessary deaths regardless of race.