Baptist and MississippiCare Host First Mississippi Opioid Summit

Oxford, Miss., April 5, 2024 – More than 170 addiction medicine, social services and law enforcement professionals attended the first opioid summit in Mississippi, hosted by Baptist Memorial Health Care Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine and MississippiCare.

The event, held at the Oxford Conference Center, promoted best practices among the recovery community to help address the opioid epidemic in Mississippi and throughout the United States. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch was the opening speaker, Dr. Stephen Loyd gave the keynote address with additional sessions offered for clinical workers, law enforcement and prevention and recovery specialists. Other speakers included representatives from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and others working in the addiction medicine sector.

“I am pleased Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine and MississippiCare have worked together to host the first Mississippi Opioid Summit in Oxford,” said Brian Welton, CEO and administrator of Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi. “This is an important issue for our community and the country, as opioid overdoses continue to increase year after year. Through our combined and concerted efforts, we can respond strategically and identify long-term solutions that can have positive results and help our communities heal.”

Sessions explained how to recognize and understand the role of health care providers in supporting individuals who use recreational drugs, identify stigma reduction and harm reduction principles, patient-centered approaches to care and the importance of ongoing support and aftercare during recovery.

“Working alongside the Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine to host this summit is pivotal to the work of MississippiCare,” said Joey Flowers, chief strategy officer for MississippiCare. “Addressing this epidemic is more effective when our medical community works together, and we are happy to align our resources to educate and equip as many people as possible in the recovery business.”

In 2022, Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine collaborated with MississippiCare to identify post-acute, follow-up care for patients with opioid use and/or alcohol use disorder in Mississippi. MississippiCare is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary care, behavioral health, nutrition services and a variety of additional services, including clinical pharmacy consults, to all individuals regardless of their ability to pay. Baptist and MississippiCare’s collaboration resulted in a Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Medicated Assisted Treatment access grant to increase access points to treatment and provide medications and supportive services to individuals with opioid use disorder and/or alcohol use disorder. 

Baptist Memorial Health Care and Integrated Addiction Care Associates (now Connections Wellness Group) formed the Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine in 2019 to provide immediate, comprehensive treatment for patients who present to Baptist with substance and alcohol use disorders. Patients are connected with an addiction medicine specialist and a supporting team of physicians, therapists, social workers, care coordinators and recovery support specialists through teleconsultation and telemedicine to create a more seamless path toward treatment and recovery. The program won a $4 million, five-year Health Resources and Services Administration grant to train five physicians a year for five years, adding 25 addiction medicine specialists to the Mid-South community. To learn more, visit www.baptistonline.org/services/addiction-care.

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