The 4th Annual East Tennessee Opioid Conference was held virtually on February 18th and broadcast from the Summit Medical Group corporate headquarters. More than 350 area medical professionals and community members attended the conference to learn more about how they can combat the opioid epidemic and address underlying causes.
Attendees heard presentations from physicians and academics associated with Pain Consultants of East Tennessee, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Tennessee Medical Foundation, High Risk Obstetrical Consultants, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and Cedar Recovery Center.
The focus of the opioid epidemic and the conference itself is evolving over time to focus on the underlying causes of the crisis.
Causes like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are key to understanding who in our population are most vulnerable and likely to become addicted to opioid medications.
“If we can begin to identify who is most susceptible to addiction at an early age, we can equip those people with tools to help them avoid addictive behaviors throughout the rest of their life,” Dr. James Choo said.
In its fourth year, the conference continues to grow by roughly 50 new attendees each year.
