Conversations with Experts
ONE TO ONE WITH SAM QUINONES (AUTHOR OF DREAMLAND)
Bill speaks with journalist Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
ONE TO ONE WITH KENTUCKY HARM REDUCTION COALITION
Bill and his guests Matthew La Rocco, Harm Reduction and Community Outreach Specialist at Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness, and Arlene Rice, founder of the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, discuss the opioid epidemic and how one program is tackling the problem. Part of KET’s ongoing Inside Opioid Addiction initiative funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
10 QUESTIONS WITH ROBERT DUPONT, MD (FIRST DIR. OF NIDA)
Dr. Robert DuPont, former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the second White House drug chief, spoke with KET about the opioid epidemic as part of an upcoming one-hour documentary on the crisis in Kentucky and possible solutions.
10 QUESTIONS WITH ANDREW KOLODNY (PHYSICIANS FOR RESPONSIBLE OPIOID PRESCRIBING)
Dr. Andrew Kolodny, a leading expert on opioid addiction, spoke with KET about the opioid epidemic as part of an upcoming one-hour documentary on the crisis in Kentucky and possible solutions.
CONNECTIONS WITH KIMBERLY JOHNSON (SAMSHA)
Renee’s guest is Kimberly Johnson, Ph.D., director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Center for Substance Abuse promotes community-based substance abuse treatment and recovery services for individuals and families in every community. Taped at the SAMHSA headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, Renee talks with Dr. Johnson about the nation’s reliance on high-powered pain killers to manage pain, addiction recovery models, drug abuse prevention, and more. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH SPECIAL AGENT TUGGLE (DEA)
Renee’s guest is Gary Tuggle, special agent in charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Philadelphia Division. With over 30 years of law enforcement experience, Tuggle, a Baltimore native, began his law enforcement career as a Baltimore City police officer. Renee catches up with him in his hometown to talk about the portals of heroin into the U.S., the DEA’s new strategy in addressing heroin trafficking and use, and the rise of the highly-potent opioid fentanyl that’s claiming more lives and endangering law enforcement. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH TOM VILSACK (FORMER SEC. OF AGRICULTURE)
From the USDA in Washington, D.C., Renee talks with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who discusses the White House’s response to the opioid addiction epidemic sweeping the nation, and the Obama Administration’s budget proposal to invest more than $1 billion dollars in addiction treatment. Secretary Vilsack is personally familiar with addiction as he watched his adoptive mother struggle with drug use before she eventually found a path to sobriety. He and Renee discuss the challenges of treating addicts in rural areas, the connections between poverty and addiction, drug-monitoring programs to prevent doctor shopping, and the use of technology in recovery tools. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH LEANA WEN (COMMISSIONER PUBLIC HEALTH/BALTIMORE)
Renee’s guest is Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City health commissioner, emergency room physician, and patient advocate. Author of the critically-acclaimed book When Doctors Don’t Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests, Dr. Wen has given six popular TED and TEDMED talks on patient-centered care, public health leadership, and healthcare reform and speaks frequently on national television about why combatting substance abuse is her top priority. Renee visits the Baltimore City Health Department to talk with Dr. Wen about the country’s struggle to manage pain, physician responsibility in prescribing powerful painkillers, harm-reduction techniques like needle exchange, and the accessibility of overdose-reversal drugs. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH TERRENCE WALTON (DRUG COURT ASSOCIATION)
Renee’s guest is Terrence Walton, chief operating officer of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. Of the nearly 2.5 million people incarcerated in America, nearly half of them are in jail because of drug use and addiction. There are more than 3,000 drug courts across the nation to help those with substance-abuse disorders get and stay on the right side of the law. Renee talks with Terrence Walton in Baltimore, Maryland, about the success of drug courts in helping addicts recover and reducing crime. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH ROBERT CALIFF (FDA)
Dr. Robert Califf, the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), talks about the FDA’s new response to drug addiction unveiled earlier this year, resulting in efforts to expand the availability of overdose reversal drugs. Renee spoke with Dr. Califf during his recent listening tour at the Pikeville Medical Center, where he heard from frontline healthcare workers and policy makers battling and treating addiction. Part of KET’s ongoing Inside Opioid Addiction initiative funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH SCOTT HESELTINE (SEVEN COUNTIES)
Scott Hesseltine, vice president of addiction services at Seven Counties Services, discusses new models of treatment to help those with opioid abuse disorders recover. He also talks about a new facility that serves expectant mothers with addiction throughout their pregnancy with wraparound services to get them on the path to recovery. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH LYNNE SADDLER (NKY –DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH)
Dr. Lynne Saddler, district director of health at the Northern Kentucky Health Department, talks about the heroin epidemic in Northern Kentucky. She discusses current community efforts and the impact of a syringe exchange program. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH JASON MERRICK (KENTON COUNTY DETENTION CENTER)
Jason Merrick, director of inmate addiction services at the Kenton County Detention Center, discusses the inmate drug and alcohol treatment program he launched consisting of counseling sessions, time for inmates to pursue their GED certificates, and attend 12-step programs. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH VETERAN’S TREATMENT COURT
Kathy Vasquez, veterans justice outreach specialist, and Elton Terry, recovery coordinator, with the Lexington VA Medical Center, talk about the Fayette County Veterans Treatment Court (FCVTC). The FCVTC program provides court-supervised treatment for veterans as an alternative to incarceration, services and treatments address substance abuse and/or mental health; connection to benefits; and help with housing, employment, and education. Part of KET’s “Inside Opioid Addiction” initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
CONNECTIONS WITH PADUCAH’S MERRYMAN HOUSE
Mary Foley, executive director of the Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center in Paducah, talks about the services the organization provides to abused women and children. She also discusses expansion efforts to address the intersectionality of substance abuse and domestic violence. Part of KET’s ongoing Inside Opioid Addiction initiative funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
KENTUCKY HEALTH/ HEPATITIS C
Dr. Matthew C. Cave, associate professor of medicine at University of Louisville Health Care Outpatient Center, discusses Hepatitis C.
KENTUCKY HEALTH/ DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE DRUG PREVENTION MODEL
Dr. Tuckson speaks with Dana Quesinberry, an attorney with the Kentucky Drug Overdose Prevention Program, and Kentucky Injury Prevention and the Research Center at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health; and Dr. Joann Schulte, director of Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. Part of KET’s ongoing Inside Opioid Addiction initiative funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
KENTUCKY HEALTH /NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME
Dr. Lori Devlin, associate professor of pediatrics, Neonatal Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, talks about neonatal abstinence syndrome. Part of KET’s ongoing Inside Opioid Addiction initiative funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
KENTUCKY HEALTH/ HELPING A LOVED ONE WITH AN ADDICTION
Counselor Karen Hagan with JADAC (Jefferson Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center) discusses addiction and how it impacts family and friends. Part of KET’s Inside Opioid Addiction Initiative funded in part by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
HEALTH THREE60/ PAIN MANAGEMENT WITHOUT ADDICTION
Renee Shaw and guests discuss best practices for the safe use of opioids in pain management and explore non-pharmaceutical pain treatments like physical therapy, clinical massage, dry needling, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Part of KET’s Inside Opioid Addiction initiative, funded in part by a grant from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.