AmerisourceBergen Foundation grant funds substance abuse symposium

3/23/2018
AmerisourceBergen’s charitable arm and Thomas Jefferson University are teaming to fight opioid abuse and misuse in the Philadelphia area. The AmerisourceBergen Foundation has awarded the university a $50,000 grant to sponsor its second annual Substance Use Disorders Symposium.

The symposium, set to take place on May 29 at the university’s Center City campus, will bring lawmakers, community representatives and lawmakers to talk about a coordinated approach to curb the opioid crisis across the city. Speakers will focus on such topics as medication-assisted treatment, pain management for patients in recovery and management of opioid overdose, as well as patient perspectives on addiction and recovery.

“We are delighted that the AmerisourceBergen Foundation has offered to support Jefferson’s opioid crisis educational conference, which will shed light on this devastating public health emergency,” chair of the Thomas Jefferson University Dept. of Emergency Medicine Theodore Christopher said. “In addition to prescribing less opioid medication to all patients, physicians need to learn about the processes and logistics around treating opioid-addicted patients, and referring them to appropriate facilities and providers in the city.”

This partnership is the latest of the AmerisourceBergen Foundation’s collaboration with the university to help meet community needs. It donated $250,000 for a pharmacy at Project HOME’s Stephen Klein Wellness Center in North Philadelphia, and in 2017, the foundation gave $50,000 to the university’s Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center to support its cancer support and welcome center.

“As leaders in this region and across the nation organize efforts to combat opioid abuse, we — at AmerisourceBergen — aim to provide them with the resources needed to prevent misuse and drive sustained change,” said Gina Clark, AmerisourceBergen Foundation president and executive vice president and chief communications and administration officer at AmerisourceBergen. “At AmerisourceBergen, we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures. Through our work with Thomas Jefferson University, we hope to convene leaders within the healthcare industry and community to identify best practices and develop action plans to combat opioid abuse.”

For more information about the symposium, click here.
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