On Tuesday, April 24, Meharry Medical College will address the opioid epidemic at its ninth annual Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center Symposium. This year's event theme, "The Opioid Crisis: Managing Challenges," will address the national public health crisis and feature remarks with experts in the field. The event, sponsored by Meharry's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, is free and open to the public.

Meharry's 2018 Elam Symposium comes during a crisis in America when approximately 29 percent of patients prescribed opioid drugs for chronic pain misuse them, leading to more than 115 fatal overdoses per day in the United States.

By addressing the mental and psychological effects of opioid addiction, Meharry hopes to shed light on the complexities of drug dependence and discuss avenues for patient recovery and assistance.

Speakers at the event will include:

• Dr. Paul Ragan, Medical Director, Dual Diagnosis / Detox Unit at Tristar Skyline Medical Center Madison Campus, who will give the keynote presentation;
• Dr. DeAnn Bullock, Medical Director of Nashville General Hospital's Emergency Medicine;
• Dr. Daniel Lonergan, Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt Health of Cool Springs; and Addiction Medicine Clinical Director - Vanderbilt Williamson Interventional Pain;
• Dr. Carolyn Wester, Tennessee State Medical Director of HIV and STD Viral Hepatitis; and
• Dr. Kelly Kiningham, Associate Dean of Students Affairs and Professor at Belmont University's College of Pharmacy.

Meharry Medical College is committed to providing the highest quality care to all people, regardless of race, creed, national origin, gender, or other circumstances of personal identity. The Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences furthers this mission by addressing the mental health needs of the underserved and disadvantaged, creating an irreplaceable resource for those in the greater Nashville community.

Tuesday, April 24 • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Meharry Medical College

The Cal Turner Family Center for Student Education

1011 21st Avenue North

Nashville, TN 37208