White House Director Urges Action on Opioid Epidemic

Left to right: Christopher Hanifin, Rahul Gupta, Kathleen Neville, Stanley Terlecky at a 2023 round table event. (Photo credit: Jacki Kronstedt)

Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, was the keynote speaker at a virtual forum on substance use disorders (SUDs) for 300 educators and students from Seton Hall University, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Monmouth University on September 19.

The event kicked off SUD training for students from Seton Hall's and Monmouth University's nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs, as well as second-year students from the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

White House Drug Policy Director Urges Advocacy

Gupta's keynote speech highlighted the persistent stigma surrounding SUDs and urged healthcare practitioners to actively advocate when treating patients and educating their families.

"We have to be the champions of eliminating the stigma surrounding substance use disorders; we have to be compassionate as healthcare providers … and we must work to eliminate (the stigma) across healthcare," he said.

While noting the latest provisional data released from the CDC showing a 10 percent decrease in overdose deaths ending April 2024, Gupta warned against complacency. "What can we do to break the cycle of substance abuse in America?" he asked, urging students to consider their future roles in transforming patient treatment for SUDs.

Seton Hall at Forefront of National Dialogue

Gupta's attendance at the forum underscored the University's leadership in advancing the national dialogue on SUDs.

In 2018, Seton Hall's College of Nursing and School of Health and Medical Sciences partnered with Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine to secure the first of two consecutive interprofessional grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to develop Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) training - a requirement for healthcare professionals authorized to prescribe treatment for opioid use disorders (OUDs). Monmouth University joined the interprofessional grant team in 2022.

The MAT curriculum has since become embedded at all three institutions, providing 860 nurse practitioner, physician assistant and medical school students to date with best evidence practices and hands-on experience in treating OUDs.

Bringing Grant Success Full Circle

At the forum, grant project directors reflected on the success of the SAMHSA grants and noted the completion of their six-year interprofessional collaboration.

Kathleen Neville, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, associate dean of graduate studies and research at Seton Hall College of Nursing and principal investigator of the grants said, "We established a groundbreaking curriculum that not only educated our students but also partnered with local community organizations to address the opioid crisis at a grassroots level."

Christopher Hanifin, E.D., PA-C, chair, Seton Hall Master of Science in Physician Assistant Department, and Stanley R. Terlecky, Ph.D., vice dean of research and medical science, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, offered additional perspectives as grant project directors.

"Substance use disorders don't discriminate; they cut across all demographic groups in America," said Hanifin. "It's critical training for healthcare practitioners, no matter their specialty."

Neville noted that a key component of the second grant was partnering with Newark-based organizations, Integrity House and Broadway House for Continuing Care, to provide clinical training for students to treat underserved minority populations in the community.

"Experts in these agencies provided phenomenal learning opportunities for our students and we are so grateful for their expertise in preparing our students to address the opioid epidemic," Neville said.

Continuing the Fight Against SUDs

As Seton Hall and its grant partners move forward, the permanent integration of the SUDs and OUDs training curriculum into their programs is a testament to the success of the six-year endeavor.

"Seton Hall's work doesn't end here," Neville noted. "By embedding this curriculum into our nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs, we are ensuring that future healthcare providers are not only equipped with the latest best practices, but are also advocates for compassionate, stigma-free care for those battling substance use disorders."

Categories: Health and Medicine, Nation and World