Community Engagement
OPMOS Community Education
The Office of Pain Management & Opioid Stewardship, (OPMOS) offers individualized opioid education programs for healthcare providers and community nonprofits, for patients and families, and for local students, teachers, and parents. You can read about some of the programs below. We are dedicated to this community, and proud to serve all its constituencies. We’d love to hear from you Charlottesville—tell us what you’re seeing, tell us what you’d like to see, and let us know how we can help at: opmos@uvahealth.org
Piedmont Virginia Community College Student Program
September 30, 2024
Presenters: Dr. Dania Cyd Chastain, UVA; Anne Croonquist, parent; Spenser Kennedy, Prevention Specialist, Region Ten Community Services Board
The Opioid Crisis: What Charlottesville Students Need to Know
Following two presentations to PVCC faculty and staff this summer, The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team returned to speak with the students. We had a very substantive discussion about facts, risks, and harm reduction strategies. Students shared their own experiences and perspectives and asked thoughtful questions. Along with the topics below, we discussed strategies for supporting and communicating with each other in ways that help keep everyone in the PVCC community safe. Anne Croonquist generously shared the story of losing her young adult son to an opioid overdose. And Spenser Kennedy, a former PVCC student himself, trained participants in how to administer Narcan, and provided free Narcan for everyone.
Program topics included:
- Explaining opioids; drug exposures and use among young adults
- The impact of fentanyl, xylazine, medetomidine, and counterfeit pills
- How to understand and recognize substance use and abuse
- Overdoses—how to identify them, how to stop them, and Good Samaritan Laws
- Narcan training
- Being an active bystander, harm reduction, keeping meds safe at home
Piedmont Virginia Community College Staff Program
June 20, 2024
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain and Bhavana Yalamuru, UVA; Anne Croonquist, parent; Virginia Leavell, Charlottesville-Albemarle EMS Chief
The Opioid Crisis: What Charlottesville Educators Need to Know
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team spoke to a group of PVCC staff about how to keep everyone in their community safe. Along with the topics below, we discussed strategies for better supporting and communicating with students and colleagues. There was a lengthy Q and A which gave us the opportunity to dive deeper into the complexities of the opioid crisis. Anne Croonquist generously shared the story of losing her son, a local young adult, to an opioid overdose. Local EMS Chief Virginia Leavell trained participants on how to administer Narcan, and staff were able to leave with free Narcan.
Topics Included:
- Understanding opioids, and young adult drug use
- The impact of fentanyl, xylazine, and counterfeit pills
- How to recognize substance use and abuse
- School connectedness and family engagement as protective factors and support systems for
students and parents - Overdoses—how to recognize them, how to stop them, Good Samaritan Laws
- Harm reduction, keeping meds safe at home, drug take-back options
- Narcan training
Winchester Medical Center Grand Rounds (CME)
June 19th, 2024
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain and Bhavana Yalamuru, UVA
Navigating Clinical Practice in the Aftermath of the Opioid Crisis
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team presented an individualized Continuing Medication Education program with a focus to:
- Describe the current extent and landscape of the opioid crisis
- Explore mitigation strategies
- Discuss safe opioid prescribing practices
Albemarle County Center One Satellite High School Program
May 13th and 14th, 2024
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain and Christian Renwick, UVA; Anne Croonquist, parent; Zarina Burdge, Director of Prevention Services and Spenser Kennedy, Prevention Specialist, Region Ten Community Service Board
The Opioid Crisis: What Charlottesville Students Need to Know
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team spent two days at Center One School talking to the graduating seniors. Class programs provided students the opportunity for frank discussions about facts, risks, and harm reduction strategies. There were dozens of thoughtful questions about navigating the complicated and dangerous landscape of the opioid crisis. Anne Croonquist generously shared the story of losing her son, a recent Monticello High School graduate, to an opioid overdose. Community partners Zarina Burdge and Spenser Kennedy from Region Ten Community Service Board trained everyone on how to administer Narcan, and students we able to leave with free Narcan. Special thanks to Anne, Zarina, and Spenser.
Student Program topics included:
• Explaining opioids; drug exposures and use among young adults
• The impact of fentanyl, xylazine, and counterfeit pills
• How to understand and recognize substance use and abuse
• Overdoses—how to identify them, how to stop them, and Good Samaritan Laws
• Narcan training
• Being an active bystander, harm reduction, keeping meds safe at home
Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition, CMHWC
May 14, 2024
Presenters: Dr. Dania Cyd Chastain, UVA; Founding Director OPMOS; Wendy Carlton, Program Director OPMOS
What OPMOS Adolescent Opioid Education Looks Like in Charlottesville
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team spoke to a group from over 20 local organizations which comprise the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition. Its members collaborate to support mental health and wellness, addiction, and harm reduction resources through planning, advocacy, and increased access to effective service delivery. We shared the content, goals, and research behind our educational programming for teens and young adults. Albemarle and our 5 surrounding counties are lucky to have CMHWC doing vital work on the ground to support the well-being of everyone in our communities. We are proud to be a part of this work.
Albemarle County Public Schools Community Conversations Webinar
May 1, 2024
Presenters: Dr. Dania Cyd Chastain UVA, Founding Director OPMOS; Anne Croonquist, parent
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team was excited to be part of the ACPS Community Conversations Webinar for school staff and parents. We talked about the impact of the opioid crisis in our area, highlighting public health statistics and demographics that help provide context for a deeper understanding. We educated everyone about Narcan and what families and school communities need to do to stay safe. Anne Croonquist generously shared the story of losing her young adult son to an opioid overdose. Her son, Kevin, was a graduate of Monticello High School. The presentation was also recorded and shown at the Parent Council (a group of parent representatives from each Albemarle County school) meeting a week later so parents could discuss the information in person.
Tandem Friends School Student, Parent, and Faculty Programs:
April 19, 2024
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain and Christian Renwick, UVA; Nate Tricker, DDS; Virginia Leavell, Charlottesville-Albemarle EMS Chief
The Opioid Crisis: What Charlottesville Students Need to Know, Faculty
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team had a great visit to Tandem Friends! An afternoon assembly provided the opportunity for a frank discussion with 150 students in grades 9-12 about facts, risks, and strategies for taking care of themselves and the people they love. We provided training on how to administer Narcan, and time for questions about navigating the complicated and dangerous landscape of the opioid crisis. Special thanks to Zarina Burdge, Director of Prevention Services at Region Ten, for partnering with us to distribute Narcan to students and faculty.
Student Assembly topics included:
- Explaining opioids; drug exposures and use among young adults
- The impact of fentanyl, xylazine, and counterfeit pills
- How to understand and recognize substance use and abuse
- Overdoses—how to identify them, how to stop them, and Good Samaritan Laws
- Narcan training
- Being an active bystander, harm reduction, keeping meds safe at home
- Tandem Friends School Parent Program
April 30th, 2024
The Opioid Crisis: Tandem Parents Program
April 30, 2024
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain and Christian Renwick, UVA; Nate Tricker, DDS; Virginia Leavell, Charlottesville-Albemarle EMS Chief
The Opioid Crisis: What Charlottesville Parents Need to Know
Following our presentation to upper school students at Tandem Friends, the UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team spoke to parents in an evening program. We shared what their kids had learned from us, along with strategies for better communicating with their teenagers and keeping them safe. We all benefited from a robust discussion at the end, with lots of great questions about how to navigate the complicated and dangerous landscape of the opioid crisis.
Topics for Parents Included:
- Explaining opioids, exposures for teens, and adolescent drug use
- The impact of fentanyl, xylazine, and counterfeit pill
- How to recognize substance use and abuse
- School connectedness and family engagement as protective factors and support systems for
students and parents - Overdoses—how to identify them, how to stop them, Good Samaritan Laws
- Harm reduction, keeping meds safe at home, drug take-back options
Albemarle County Public Schools Professional Development Conference at Monticello High School
November 6, 2023
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain and Robert Goldstein UVA; Christian Renwick, UVA School of Medicine ’24; and Wendy Carlton, OPMOS Program Director.
Making Connections Presentation at the Albemarle County Public Schools Professional Development Conference
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team was invited to speak at the Albemarle County Public Schools education conference,“Making Connections.”
Seminar topics for faculty & administrators included:
- Understanding opioids, exposures for teens, and adolescent drug use
- The impact of fentanyl, xylazine, and counterfeit pills
- How to recognize substance use and abuse
- School connectedness as a protective factor and support system for students and their families
- Overdoses: how to recognize them, how to stop them, and Good Samaritan Laws
- Narcan training
- Being an active bystander, harm reduction, and medication safety
Charlottesville Albemarle Dental Society, CADS CME Accredited
May 25, 2023
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain, Lynn Kohan, Priyanka Singla and Andrew Mendelson, UVA; Nate Tricker, DDS; Virginia Leavell, Charlottesville-Albemarle EMS Chief; Christian Renwick, UVA School of Medicine ‘24
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team presented an individualized program focused on topics including:
- New CDC opioid prescribing guidelines
- Prescribing practices of general dentists and dental specialists
- Acute pain management
- Chronic pain management
- Treating pain
- Warning signs for opioid use disorder in healthcare providers
- Narcan training
- Medication safety and responsibility
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
Opioid Management for Hospitalists, Sentara CME Accredited
April 6th, 2023
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain, Lynn Kohan, Robert Goldstein, Bhavana Yalamuru, Andrew Mendelson and Priyanka Singla, UVA Department of Anesthesiology/Division of Pain Medicine; Wendy Carlton, OPMOS Program Director UVA
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team presented an individualized program focused on topics including:
- Working with chronic pain patients in an acute care setting
- Opioid tapering strategies
- Working with challenging patients
- Treating with suboxone
- Educating patients, creating and using behavioral agreements
- Decreasing substance use disorder in patients with short-term opioid treatment plans
Saint Anne’s Belfield School Student, Parent, and Faculty Programs
March 29th , 2023
Presenters: Drs. Dania Cyd Chastain, Priyanka Singla, and Andrew Mendelson UVA; Nate Tricker, DDS; Virginia Leavell, Charlottesville-Albemarle EMS Chief
Assembly Topics for Students, Faculty & Administrators
The UVA Department of Anesthesiology OPMOS team presented a program focused on topics including:
- The opioid crisis: statistics and demographics
- Understanding opioids
- Adolescent drug use
- The impact of fentanyl and counterfeit pills
- Behavioral and physical signs of drug use and abuse
- Overdoses—how to recognize them, how to stop them, Good Samaritan Laws
- Narcan training
- Being an active bystander, harm reduction, keeping meds safe at home
Webinar Topics for Parents Included:
- The opioid crisis: statistics and demographics
- Understanding opioids
- Adolescent drug use
- Adolescent opioid use—potential exposures, access
- The impact of fentanyl and counterfeit pills
- Risk factors for drug use, and behavioral and physical signs of use and abuse
- Overdoses—how to recognize them, how to stop them, Good Samaritan Laws
- Harm reduction, keeping meds safe at home, being an active bystander
- How to talk to your kids about opioids and other drugs
Community Engagement
Dr. Bob Goldstein, MD, Leads UVA Health Initiative to Increase Drug Take-Back Receptacles
Dr. Bob Goldstein, MD, pain management specialist in the Department of Anesthesiology learned of a problem from his patients, where unused or old prescription drugs often sit around at home without a safe way to dispose of them. According to Dr. Goldstein, these drugs can cause harm through misuse or being consumed by accident. Or if they are flushed down toilets, or leak into landfills, they cause environmental harm and contaminate the water supply.
Dr. Goldstein led a team effort to solve this problem and increase the availability of drug take-back receptacles. The goal was to provide greater access to medically and environmentally safe disposal locations. The team includes Anesthesiology, Pharmacy, Facility Management, the SPARK Initiative Administrative team and UVA-Health Administration.
According to Dr. Goldstein, “When the SPARK program came along,” he says, “I thought I would propose the idea of additional recovery boxes, and fortunately, the UVA Health Spark Innovation Committee liked the idea, too.” As a result of their efforts, six new Drug-Takeback Receptacles are now located at the following locations:
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- UVA Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Retail Pharmacy
- UVA Pantops Pharmacy
- UVA Pharmacy Ivy Road
- UVA Bookstore Pharmacy
- UVA Student Health Pharmacy
- UVA Augusta Pharmacy
- Outpatient Pharmacy at Education Resource Center (two previously existing receptacles)
- UVA Zion Crossroads Pharmacy (previously existing receptacle)
Click to learn more more about Dr. Bob Goldstein and his team’s efforts in the UVA School of Medicine’s Medicine in Motion feature article.
This was a collaborative effort with members of the Anesthesiology (Dr. Bob Goldstein, Wendy Carlton, Tyler Erikson), Pharmacy, Marketing and Administration departments. Despite torrential rains for part of the day, the program collected close to 100lbs of medications for disposal.
National Drug Take-Back Day
As featured on WVIR 29 News, Saturday, April 22nd, was National Drug Take-Back Day. UVA Anesthesiology in partnership with UVA Health, did its part by hosting a drive-through drug drop-off in front of the ERC. The drive-through event is in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Drug Take Back Day on April 24, 2023.
According to UVA Dr. Harrison Plunket, MD, “Across the country and across the state, there are multiple sites where people can go and drop off these medications.” If you missed the drive-through event, there are other opportunities to dispose of these unused prescriptions. “At the University of Virginia there’s a drop off box that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Plunkett said.
JEDI Committee Partners with SNMA Discover Medicine Program to Teach Local High School Students
The Anesthesia JEDI Committee partnered with the Student National Medical Association’s (SNMA) Discover Medicine program on Nov 16th, 2023, and helped teach local high school students about the cardiovascular system. Discover Medicine is a year-long graduate-student run program designed to introduce high-schoolers from underrepresented backgrounds to medicine and biomedical sciences.
Each month, they discover a new aspect of medicine. November was Cardiovascular month, and December was pulmonology. Thank you to Drs. Paul Gallo, Emmad Kabil, Hamy Kassahun, and Erlyn Rudico for spending time mingling with the students and showing them basics of transthoracic echocardiograhy!
Cville Women’s 4-Miler
Several anesthesiology faculty members participated in the Charlottesville Women’s 4-Miler race in September. This is the largest all-women’s race in Virginia and over the years, it has raised millions of dollars for UVA’s Breast Care Program.
Cville Pride Festival
The latest JEDI event was the C’ville Pride Festival on September 17th! Despite the rain, it was wonderful celebrating with the community! Thank you to all who turned out in support!
Holiday Giving Project
For the 2023 Holiday Season, the Department once again sponsored 2 local Charlottesville families (4 children) through the Southwood Boys and Girls Club. Through this initiative, we were able to get everything on each child’s wish list, as well as Food Lion gift cards for the parents. In total, there were $1,290 and countless gift donations. Thank you all for your generosity — this would not be possible without your support!
On December 13th, the department held a gift wrapping party to prepare the gifts and dropped them off at the local Boys and Girls Club. Thank you to Abby Gilg for coordinating this project and making it such a success.
Boys & Girls Club Camp
The UVA Housestaff Council for Diversity and Inclusion (HCDI) recently hosted the second annual “Surgery & Anesthesia Day Camp” with the Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia. Residents and faculty in the departments of Anesthesiology, Surgery, and Plastic Surgery guided local middle school students through hands-on simulation exercises. Activities included suturing using pigs’ feet, a laparoscopy simulation game, a CPR workshop, and intubation practice. The event also included a Q&A panel, where students had the opportunity to ask the residents about their experiences, and a learning session about the path to residency and different specialty options.