FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 10, 2019

Contact: Nicolette Nappi, Media Coordinator, 973-382-4560, Nicolette@drugfreenj.org

Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall Highlights Impact of Opioid Epidemic on Hunterdon Medical Center Community

FLEMINGTON — Local experts on the opioid epidemic devastating New Jersey addressed its impact on the Hunterdon Medical Center community and discussed solutions with its residents at a Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ) and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey held a Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall in Flemington on Wednesday, October 9. From left, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Michael Willians; Dr. Nimish Mehta, Hunterdon Medical Center; Nava Bastola, Public Health Analyst, NY/NJ High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA); Lesley Gabel, Co-Director, CEO, Prevention Resources; Divya Paliwal, MD, Chief Clinical Transformation Office, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey; Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey; Dr. Jeffrey Moore, Superintendent, Hunterdon Central Regional High School; and Heather Ogden, Advocacy Coordinator, NCADD – NJ; Greg Rearick, Supervisor, Hunterdon Opioid Overdose Recovery Program.

The event, co-sponsored by Hunterdon Healthcare, featured welcoming remarks from Patrick Gavin, CEO of Hunterdon Healthcare, Divya Paliwal, MD, Chief Clinical Transformation Office, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Hunterdon County Prosecutor Michael Williams prior to a panel discussion including Nava Bastola, Public Health Analyst, NY/NJ High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA); Dr. Nimish Mehta, Hunterdon Medical Center; Dr. Jeffrey Moore, Superintendent, Hunterdon Central Regional High School; Greg Rearick, Supervisor, Hunterdon Opioid Overdose Recovery Program; Lesley Gabel, Co-Director, CEO, Prevention Resources; Heather Ogden, Advocacy Coordinator, NCADD – NJ.

Prior to the town hall, a representative from the Drug Enforcement Administration ­– New Jersey Division set up a Hidden in Plain Sight presentation, which portrayed a mock teenage bedroom with everyday items that can actually be indicators of drug use or risky behavior.

Speakers discussed what efforts are being made to address the epidemic, including programs available for those in need of treatment and what is being done to help support youth who are vulnerable to substance use and abuse issues.

“With so many overdoses occurring across New Jersey, the need for prompt, compassionate, evidence-based intervention is necessary and essential,” said Gavin.

Hunterdon Healthcare’s Opioid Overdose Recovery Program, supported by a grant from the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, helps release individuals from the grip of addiction and get on the path of recovery. The program in Hunterdon ranks second among those throughout the state in the success rate for helping link individuals to treatment and getting on a path of recovery.

The Hunterdon medical community also makes it a top priority to discuss non-opioid alternatives with their patients.

“We have become more aware of the dangers of these drugs and we try to educate our patients about alternatives to opioids with hopes to make a difference in this epidemic,” said Dr. Mehta.

Prevention methods within local schools were of particular concern to Dr. Moore who stressed the importance of addressing mental health issues among our youth and building positive habits to help keep them drug-free.

 “While it’s true that the frequency of overdoses is greater for those older than high school students, we know that the habits for abuse — and habits against abuse — can be built in schools,” he said.

Hunterdon Central Regional High School offers counseling services to students and has increased their number of Student Assistance Counselors (SACS) within their school, assigning one counselor per grade.

Ogden shared her own personal experience battling with a substance use disorder beginning in her teenage years and her journey through recovery.

“I was very fortunate to have a family that wanted me to get well,” she said. “Recovery is possible, and there are a lot more people out there than you know. They are just not talking about it yet.”

More than 3,000 people died from drug overdoses in New Jersey in 2018, a majority of which was opioid-related. Nationwide, more than 47,000 people died of opioid overdoses in 2017, and official figures for 2018 could exceed that total.

Since January of 2019, there have been a total of 11 opioid overdoses and a total of 8 naloxone administrations in Flemington.

Hunterdon County is the third county to form an Overdose Fatality Review Team to review confidential overdose death cases to prevent future overdose deaths. Bastola discussed plans to expand the program to all 21 counties in New Jersey.

“We need to use data to identify and bring policy changes to the county, state, and ultimately on a national level,” said Bastola.

The town hall was the sixth community event in the continuation of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey’s Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative, a two-year initiative focusing on addressing the opioid epidemic through community outreach, prescriber education, parent education and a statewide campaign to increase awareness of the crisis. The new series of town halls builds on the progress of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall Series from 2017 and 2018, which was held for all 21 New Jersey counties and also supported by a grant from The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.

To see a video of the Hunterdon Medical Center Knock Out Opioid Abuse Town Hall or to see the fall schedule of upcoming town halls, visit knockoutopioidabuse.drugfreenj.org. The website also features information on scheduled town halls and a look into the lives of New Jersey residents who have been affected by the opioid epidemic. It also includes an online continuing medical education program for prescribers and information on parent education through the Knock Out Opioid Abuse 5^th Grade Parent Alert.

The next town hall in the series will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16 at the Rutgers University-Camden Campus Center.

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Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey: Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication.  To date, more than $100 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 174 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, vision and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving approximately 3.7 million members.

About The Horizon Foundation For New Jersey: The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is committed to working alongside those who can help us improve our neighbors’ health, inform their health decisions and inspire them to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. The Foundation’s funding pillars are Caring, Connecting and Creating. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is the sole member of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, both of which are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit www.Horizonblue.com/Foundation.