2018 Speakers

Jerome  Adams
Jerome Adams MD, MPH
MD, MPH, VADM Surgeon General
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States, was sworn into office by Vice President Mike Pence on September 5, 2017. Dr. Adams, a board-certified anesthesiologist, served as Indiana State Health Commissioner from 2014 to 2017. Dr. Adams, a Maryland native, has bachelor's degrees in both biochemistry and psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a master of public health degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and a medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. Adams was also an associate professor of clinical anesthesia at Indiana University School of Medicine and a staff anesthesiologist at Eskenazi Health, where he was Chair of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. He has served in leadership positions at a number of professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the Indiana State Medical Association and the Indiana Society of Anesthesiologists. He is the immediate past Chair of the Professional Diversity Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

As Health Commissioner, Dr. Adams presided over Indiana's efforts to deal with the state's unprecedented HIV outbreak. In this capacity, he worked directly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as with state and local health officials and community leaders, and brought the widest range of resources, policies and care available to stem the epidemic affecting that community.

He also helped with the successful launch of Indiana's state-based, consumer-driven alternative to Medicaid expansion and worked with the state legislature to secure more than $10 million to combat infant mortality in high-risk areas of the state.

Dr. Adams' motto as Surgeon General is "better health through better partnerships." As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams is committed to maintaining strong relationships with the public health community and forging new partnerships with non-traditional partners, including business and law enforcement.

He has pledged to lead with science, facilitate locally led solutions to the nation's most difficult health problems, and deliver higher quality healthcare at lower cost through patient and community engagement and better prevention.

As Surgeon General, Dr. Adams oversees the operations of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which has approximately 6,500 uniformed health officers who serve in nearly 600 locations around the world to promote, protect and advance the health and safety of our nation and our world.
Plenary Session


Sean Allen
Sean Allen
DrPH, Assistant Scientist
Johns Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dr. Sean T. Allen is a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society. He has conducted research on a number of harm reduction policy initiatives, including the cost-effectiveness of syringe services program implementation. He has published extensively on geospatial aspects of injection drug use and service utilization among people who inject drugs. Allen completed his post-doctoral training at Johns Hopkins University in the Drug Dependence Epidemiology Training Program. During his post-doctoral training, he served as a Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Allen completed his doctoral training at The George Washington University, where he received his doctorate in public health - health behavior. He also holds a master's degree in public health and dual bachelor's degrees in biology and agriculture - entomology from the University of Kentucky.
Syringe Services Programs in Rural, At-Risk Areas: Lessons Learned and Future Prospects


Jeffrey A. Allen
Jeffrey A. Allen
MDiv, Executive Director
West Virginia Council of Churches
Rev. Jeffrey S. Allen is a United Methodist pastor currently appointed to the West Virginia Council of Churches as the Executive Director. He holds a bachelor's degree in biology and a bachelor's degree in religious studies from West Virginia University and a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University. He previously served as Project Director for the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition and as the Community and Families Development Director at Community Development Outreach Ministries (CDOM) for 13 years. He also has served as pastor at the Keystone and Northfork United Methodist Churches in McDowell County, West Virginia, and the College Hill United Methodist Church in Waco, Kentucky. He is married to Laura Harbert. They have a golden retriever named Miles and four cats: Dora, Little Cat, Samantha, and Thomas.
Hope In Action: Partnering with Faith-Based Communities to Address the Opioid Epidemic


Lindsey Alley
Lindsey Alley
MS, Senior Research Associate
HealthInsight Oregon
Lindsey Alley, MS, is a Research Associate and Project Manager at HealthInsight Oregon. She received her master's degree in applied psychology at Portland State University, where she gained advanced training in the psychosocial facets of health behavior and health outcomes. Her work involves a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods. Her research focuses on patient experiences and relationship implications (e.g., spouse-patient, provider-patient and pharmacist-patient), regarding both treatment facilitation and adherence for individuals living with chronic illness and chronic pain. She has successfully coordinated seven research projects through which she has collected, analyzed and disseminated data regarding psychosocial determinants of various health-related behaviors, including safe patient handling, exercise, drinking, obesity, work-related injuries and psychological well-being. She is managing an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded project to develop and evaluate a toolkit aimed at community pharmacists to facilitate use of the Oregon Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and enhance supportive, effective communication between patients, pharmacists and prescribers around opioid management.
Pharmacy-Based Naloxone: Strategies from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Oregon and Washington


James Arnold
James Arnold
MA, Chief, Liaison and Policy Section, Office of Diversion Control
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
James Arnold currently serves as Chief of the Policy and Liaison Section, Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at DEA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He has served as the Chief of the Policy Unit and the Chief of the Regulatory Unit at DEA Headquarters, as well as in various other investigative and supervisory positions at the DEA New Jersey Field Division, Newark, New Jersey. His efforts in the New Jersey Field Division focused on administrative, civil, and criminal investigations of DEA registrants and other individuals and organizations who were engaged in violations of the Controlled Substances Act and/or with other illegal activities with legitimate, and illegal, controlled substances and listed chemicals. With over 28 years of experience with the DEA, Arnold spoken nationwide on numerous regulatory subjects; has coordinated and spearheaded investigations on various regulatory issues of nationwide importance for DEA and the Department of Justice; was intimately involved with various investigations and prosecutions of DEA registrants at the height of the opioid Rx drug problem in south Florida in 2011 and 2012; and has been an Instructor at the DEA Justice Training Center in Quantico, Virginia, for Intelligence Research Specialists, Special Agents of Tactical Diversion Squads, and new Basic Diversion Investigator Classes since July of 1999. He is a proud graduate of West Chester State University, and Drew University, where he received a master's degree. Arnold has been the recipient of numerous awards and commendations throughout his DEA career, in recognition of many successful investigations and prosecutions, and for his leadership, performance and commitment to public service.
DEA Update for Pharmacists
Update from the DEA Diversion Control Division


Samantha Arsenault
Samantha Arsenault
MA, Manager of National Treatment Quality Initiatives
Shatterproof
Samantha Arsenault is the Manager of National Treatment Quality Initiatives for Shatterproof. In this role, she manages the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Task Force and provides strategic guidance and support to critical stakeholders across sectors to improve the quality of addiction treatment nationally. Prior to joining Shatterproof, Arsenault worked on the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts. She worked to advance programs and policies that improve access and quality of substance use disorder treatment at the state and federal levels, with a focus on medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, and changes to infrastructure and payment systems. In addition, Arsenault worked on research and policy-based initiatives to reduce the inappropriate use of Rx drugs, while ensuring that patients have access to effective pain management. Arsenault holds a master's degree in community development and planning and bachelor's degree in economics, summa cum laude, both from Clark University.
Ending the Opioid Crisis: Solutions for State Policymakers
Improving the Quality of Substance Use Disorder Treatment through Payer-Driven Change


Tim Atkinson
Tim Atkinson
PharmD, BCPS, CPE, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Pain Management
VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System
Tim Atkinson, PharmD, BCPS, CPE, is currently a clinical pharmacy specialist in pain management at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS). Atkinson specializes in complex and high risk pain medication management through direct patient care and electronic consult services within the regional referral pain clinic. He is the residency director for the PGY-2 Pain and Palliative Care Residency program at TVHS. Additionally, Atkinson is a clinical product advisor and consultant for axialHealthcare where he develops evidence-based methods for monitoring opioid use.
Using Clinical Expertise and the Latest Evidence to Build Effective Solutions for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment and to Reduce Associated Costs - Hosted by axialHealthcare


Deborah Augustine
Deborah Augustine
National Program Manager
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Deborah Augustine is the National Program Manager, Victim Witness Assistance Program, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). She provides training, case support and guidance to DEA global domestic and international offices; coordinates victim issues with federal, state and local law enforcement; collaborates with crime victim organizations and gives presentations focused on the risks to children exposed to drug environments. She represents DEA on the Federal Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Victim Services Committee, and she worked on the Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents Advisory Working Group, an initiative of IACP, the White House Domestic Policy Council and Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Drug-Endangered Children: How Law Enforcement, Child Protection Agencies and Schools Can Help


Patricia Aussem
Patricia Aussem
LPC, MAC, MBA, Consultant
Partnership For Drug Free Kids
After a successful career as an executive in the communications industry with an Master of Business Administration in finance, Patricia Aussem earned her master's degree in counseling psychology in 2010, completing clinical training as a counselor on the adolescent, co-occurring, detox and rehab units of a New Jersey-based psychiatric hospital. Licensed in both New York and New Jersey and certified as a Master Addictions Counselor, Aussem provides clinical oversight and educational materials for the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids’ Parent Support Network.
Empowering Families: How to Address a Loved One’s Opioid Use and Become a Family Advocate


Eric Bailly
Eric Bailly
LPC, LADC, CM Business Solutions Director
Anthem, Inc.
Eric Bailly is a Business Solutions Director at Anthem, Inc. In his tenth year at Anthem, his role is focused on the Commercial and Specialty Business Division’s substance use disorder strategy, with an emphasis on the enterprise opioid strategy. Bailly earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 1993, and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1996. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of North Dakota and Colorado, and is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in the state of Minnesota. Bailly has worked as a behavioral health clinician in several settings, including Outpatient Substance Use Disorder treatment services at both Kaiser Permanente and the Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment, both in the Denver, Colorado, metro area.
Health Plans Address America’s Opioid Epidemic with Evidence-Based Strategies


David Baker
David Baker
Minnesota State Representative
Chief Executive Officer, Baker Hospitalities, Inc.
Rep. Dave Baker is in his second term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. A resident of Wilmar, Baker represents District 17B, which covers much of Kandiyohi County. In the legislature, he serves as Chair of the Select Committee on Technology and Responsive Government and is a member of the Rules and Legislative Administration, Health and Human Services Reform, Job Growth and Energy Affordability, Transportation Finance, and Ways and Means Committees. After Baker and his wife Mary lost their son Dan to opioid addiction, he became a leading advocate for reforms to curb opioid-related overdoses and deaths. During his time as an elected official, he's authored and passed bills to provide first responders with the life-saving drug naloxone, help doctors and dentists be more diligent when prescribing very powerful pain medication, limit dental patients to four days of opioids when a tooth is extracted, create new labeling on bottles to remind patients of the addictive nature of opioids, and increase funding for treatment centers to help individuals recover from this disease. Outside the legislature, he is a small business owner and well-known volunteer in Willmar. He and his wife have lived in the city for 26 years and have had three children.
A Rural Primary Care Clinic's Successful Response to the Opioid Epidemic


Michael Barnes
Michael Barnes
JD, Chairman
Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence, and Member, National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit Advisory Board
Michael C. Barnes, JD, is a Founder and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence. He also is a practicing attorney and the managing partner at DCBA Law & Policy in Washington, D.C. Barnes has been a member of the Advisory Board for the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit since 2012, has authored more than 10 scholarly articles, and presents frequently at conferences nationwide. He provides analysis for TV networks including CNBC, CNN, FOX Business, FOX News, and MSNBC. Barnes previously served as Confidential Counsel in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He is a member of the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit Advisory Board.
Knowledge and Agility: Pivoting in Response to Federal and State Health Policy Changes


Jeremy Barnum
Jeremy Barnum
MA, Research Associate
Police Executive Research Forum
Jeremy Barnum is a Research Associate at the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). He specializes in geographic information science (GIS), spatial data analysis, policing and crime prevention. Prior to joining PERF, he was a Project Manager for the Rutgers Center on Public Security, where he worked in partnership with local police agencies to implement and manage basic and applied research projects. He has presented his work at practitioner and academic conferences and has published in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of criminology, criminal justice and geography. Barnum is currently completing his doctorate in criminal justice at Rutgers University – Newark. In addition, he holds a master's degree in criminal justice from Rutgers University – Newark and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University.
Law Enforcement and Harm Reduction: Merging Public Safety and Public Health Roles


Andrea Barthwell
Andrea Barthwell MD, DFASAM
MD, DFASAM, Founder and Director
Two Dreams Treatment Centers
Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell is Founder and CEO of Two Dreams, a comprehensive wellness center for the treatment of alcoholism and substance use disorders. She is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Washington, D.C.-based global healthcare and policy-consulting firm EMGlobal LLC. Barthwell served as Deputy Director for Demand Reduction in the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George W. Bush from 2002 to 2004. Her current work is focused on developing strategies to expand access to treatment for opioid dependence disorder, expanding practitioner knowledge of urine drug testing in the identification and treatment of substance use disorders, and helping individuals and families prevent substance use disorders with the lecture series, “The Parents Academy.” Barthwell received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Wesleyan University and a medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School. In 2003, she received the Betty Ford Award from the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse. In 1997, her peers named her one of the "Best Doctors in America" in addiction medicine.
Neuroscience for Non-Scientists - Hosted by Ideal Option
Gender Differences and Substance Abuse: Eliminate Discrimination, Improve Treatment and Save Lives


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Judy Bartlett
PhD, MPH, Program Operations Director, Project ECHO
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Judy Bartlett, MPH, PhD, Program Operations Director with Project ECHO at the University of New Mexico, is focused on using the ECHO model to support knowledge dissemination and capacity building among primary care teams in rural and underserved areas, particularly in the area of substance use disorders. Prior to her work at ECHO, Bartlett spent nearly 10 years with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), leading evaluations of national HHS programs; as well as 6 years at a federally-qualified health center, leading their quality improvement projects.
Expanding Access to OUD Treatment: The Role of Telehealth


Pamela Baston
Pamela Baston
MPA, MCAP, CPP, Technical Expert Lead
JBS International, Inc.
Pamela Baston, MPA, MCAP, CPP, is a technical expert lead at JBS International. She leads an innovative state project with Florida's child welfare system to identify and engage opioid-using parents and align treatment and family court strategies. She has 35 years of experience in the prevention and treatment of behavioral health disorders and previously served as director of Florida's substance abuse agency. She is an expert in evidence-based treatment practices for women and mothers with behavioral health disorders and HIV/AIDS.
Helping Our Most Vulnerable Populations Impacted by the Opioid Crisis: Pregnant Women, Their Infants and Those Receiving Child Welfare Services - Hosted by JBS International


Chris Baumgartner
Chris Baumgartner
Drug Systems Director
Washington State Department of Health
Chris Baumgartner is the Drug Systems Director at the Washington State Department of Health. Prior to his appointment in 2015, he served in various capacities for 10 years, including working for the department as the Prescription Monitoring Program Director and owning a consulting firm that provided training and technical services to federal and state governments. He also worked for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services as an IT Portfolio Analyst and managed the Prescription Monitoring Program for the State of Maine while with the Office of Substance Abuse.
PDMP Innovations: Washington’s Prescriber Feedback and Wisconsin’s Data Analytics


Jeff Beeson
Jeff Beeson
MS, Deputy Director
Washington/Baltimore HIDTA
Jeff Beeson serves as the Deputy Director and Chief of Staff for the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (W/B HIDTA) program. His responsibilities include the overall administration of the HIDTA program, including the budget, annual report, and Threat Assessment and Strategy, as well as direct oversight of the treatment, prevention and training initiatives. Additionally, he is responsible for managing the non-HIDTA grants and contracts that support new and existing law enforcement, criminal justice, drug treatment and prevention, homeland security, technology and information sharing initiatives. Prior to joining the W/B HIDTA, Beeson served as Assistant Vice President for the Division of Innovation and Applied Research at Towson University, responsible for a portfolio of state and federal grants and contracts valued at $5 million to support workforce and public safety initiatives throughout Maryland. He also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, overseeing correctional and adult education, apprenticeship, and workforce training programs. He served under two administrations within the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services managing reentry programs and supporting progressive criminal justice policies. Beeson began his career as a senate staffer working for U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland.
Data-Driven Initiatives to End Overdoses


Nisha Beharie
Nisha Beharie
DrPH, MPH, Senior Research Associate
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Dr. Nisha Beharie works as Senior Research Associate within the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She received her bachelor's degree from Fordham University (1999), before completing a master's degree in public health (2014) at Columbia University, and a doctorate degree in public health (2015) from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center. She has extensive research, teaching and program experience in the fields of health policy, harm reduction, behavioral health, mental health and qualitative studies. Beharie has worked in a range of capacities with public-facing programs geared toward helping high-risk youth, individuals with mental illness and other marginalized populations. She has held teaching positions at CUNY and New York University and contributed to over 10 peer-reviewed publications. In 2014, Beharie was awarded the American Public Health Association Student Assembly Conference Scholarship. She has widely presented her work to public health audiences across the country.
Fentanyl and the Overdose Epidemic: The NYC Public Health Response


Heather Bell
Heather Bell
MD, Family Physician
Family Medical Center, CHI St Gabriel's
In 2012, Dr. Heather Bell began her family medicine practice in rural Minnesota. With her visionary leadership, she has been influential in redesigning the primary care delivery model across the clinic by adopting whole-person centered care and instituting guiding principles that led to the clinics earned recognition by the state of Minnesota as a Patient Certified Medical Home. As an emancipated minor, Bell’s childhood faced many challenging times. Losing a mother as an early teen and coping through family chemical abuse and addiction instilled the strength of perseverance, courage and desire to make a difference through the practice of medicine. As opioid use and issues became increasingly apparent, Bell identified that the whole-person centered care approach of the medical home model was most appropriate for reengineering the approaches to care. She became very active in the Controlled Substance Care Team within the clinic setting and introduced medication assisted addiction treatment. Her leadership perseverance is transforming the clinic practice with demonstrated outcomes in both cost savings and patient care.
A Rural Primary Care Clinic's Successful Response to the Opioid Epidemic