Pokagon Band Health Services and the CASS Coalition are teaming up for a gathering of medical professionals next month to discuss opioid abuse and how to help those struggling with addiction.
Pokagon Band Director of Health Priscilla Gatties tells us the partners last year held an all-day summit to discuss the opioid epidemic with community leaders, and the May 21 “Southwest Michigan Opioid Summit Healthcare Providers Breakfast” is a follow up to that more focused on treatment. She says organizers want to share insights into Pokagon Health Services’ primary care-centered approach to treating opioid use disorder.
“We have found at Pokagon Health Services, we’ve come up with some really good programming to help combat that on the level of a primary care facility,” Gatties said. “So we are willing to share our expertise.”
Gatties says with all that’s been done in recent years to address opioid use, the problem remains but methods of addressing it have improved.
“Kind of changing our mindset and thinking in how we tackle this. We understand that there are individuals who are going to be users, and we want to get them to that point where they’re ready to seek treatment. And then we want to be able to provide them with those resources to get access to treatment.”
The Pokagon Band has been working with Cass County on addressing opioid use with some of the county’s opioid settlement funds, which will be helping to put on the breakfast.
The event is open to healthcare providers from all over Southwest Michigan, although its focus is Cass County and tickets are available now. The breakfast will be held from 7:30 to 10 a.m. on May 21 at the Family Activity Center at Pokagon Band Health Services in Dowagiac.
