2018 Speakers
 
 
The Rx Summit annually gathers leading field experts, researchers, policy makers, and others to present a comprehensive and diverse agenda. Below are 2018 speakers.
 
 
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Linda Richter
Linda Richter
PhD, Director of Policy Research and Analysis
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
Dr. Linda Richter is the Director of Policy Research and Analysis at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. She oversees the policy-oriented research projects at the center. Her work focuses on understanding the nature and scope of substance use and other addictive behaviors among youth and adults and the public’s substance-related attitudes, beliefs and behaviors; informing the public, policymakers, health professionals and educators about addiction science and best practices in addiction prevention and care; and identifying and promoting effective measures for improving substance use and addiction prevention and treatment. Richter received her doctorate in social psychology from the University of Maryland.
Ending the Opioid Crisis: Solutions for State Policymakers


Andrew Roberts
Andrew Roberts
PharmD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
University of Kansas Medical Center
Andrew Roberts, PharmD, PhD, serves as Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He is a pharmacist and pharmaceutical health services researcher focused on examining the design and outcomes of policies intended to reduce unsafe opioid use and expand opioid use disorder treatment. He received his doctorate in pharmaceutical outcomes and policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2015 and his Doctor of Pharmacy from Drake University in 2011.
The Lock-In Loophole: Intended and Unintended Effects of Patient Review and Restriction Programs
Buprenorphine Use and Cost Trends


Tim Robinson
Tim Robinson
JD, Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Addiction Recovery Care
Tim Robinson is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Addiction Recovery Care, LLC, a company that strives to provide world-class, holistic care to people suffering with substance abuse disorder. The company integrates medical, clinical/behavioral, spiritual and vocational rehabilitation services to provide an innovate continuum of care. Addiction Recovery Care's mission is personal to Robinson, who states, "It was never my dream to grow up and become an alcoholic, so getting sober and starting an addiction recovery organization was never in my life plan." He founded the organization after an eight-year battle with alcoholism. He celebrated 11 years sober in December 2017. With Robinson at the helm, Addiction Recovery Care is pioneering addiction treatment and has expanded its footprint throughout central and eastern Kentucky with nine residential and four outpatient treatment centers. Robinson resides in Louisa, Kentucky, with his wife, Lelia, and two young sons, Russ and Kent.
A True Continuum of Care: Incorporating Workforce Development and Education into Addiction Treatment


Harold  Rogers
Honorable Harold Rogers
U.S. Representative
(R-KY, 5th District)
Serving Kentucky's 5th Congressional District since 1981, Hal Rogers is currently in his 19th term representing the people of southern and eastern Kentucky, and is the longest serving Kentucky Republican ever elected to federal office. Focused on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drug use and preserving the natural treasures of Appalachia, Rogers has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the interests of the region where he was raised.

Born in rural Kentucky and representing one of the poorest Congressional Districts in the nation, Rogers' vision for a stronger region spurred some of the greatest success stories in southern and eastern Kentucky. Organizations such as PRIDE, Operation UNITE, Southeast Kentucky Economic Development (SKED), The Center for Rural Development and Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) have brought local communities together by revitalizing the environment, providing hope in the fight against drugs, building small businesses, and creating jobs by increasing tourism in one of the most beautiful regions of the country.

Nationally, as Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee from 2011 to 2016, he reduced the size and scope of the government by reining in federal spending, conducting rigorous but thoughtful oversight of federal agencies, and restoring fiscal discipline and transparency to our budget process. Rogers led the Congress to reduce discretionary spending by a historic amount, cutting $126 billion in discretionary spending since 2010. Rogers also restored regular order and a culture on the Committee for serious budget oversight and transparency in process, including 2122 amendments considered to appropriations bills on the floor and 650 oversight hearings conducted during his tenure as Chairman.

With more than 30-years of experience on the Appropriations Committee, he has served on eight different subcommittees, including leadership roles as Chairman or Ranking Member of three. Rogers was tapped in 2003 to lead the newly established Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Through this important role, Rogers fought to ensure our first responders received the funds necessary to protect against terrorist threats; demanded tough answers from FEMA in the wake of federal responses to wildfires, hurricanes and flash floods; and insisted on enforcement of our country's immigration laws and stronger border security.

Whether Rogers is on Capitol Hill ensuring the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, fighting to secure the homeland, scrutinizing federal government agencies, or home in southern and eastern Kentucky working to make a difference in the lives of the individuals he represents, Rogers remains committed to being a strong voice in Congress for fiscal responsibility, economic development, a strong national defense, and a prosperous future for America.
Welcome and Opening Plenary Session
Plenary Session: Congressional Leaders Update


Lipi Roy
Lipi Roy MD, MPH
Medical Director
Kingsboro Addiction Treatment Center, New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
Dr. Roy is a physician board certified in addiction medicine and clinical assistant professor at NYU School of Medicine. She is currently the Medical Director of New York City’s Kingsboro Addiction Treatment Center, operated by New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. As the former Chief of Addiction Medicine for NYC jails including Rikers Island, Dr. Roy oversaw substance use treatment and recovery services for the city’s incarcerated men and women. Previously, she was a primary care doctor to Boston's vulnerable homeless population, among whom the leading cause of death was drug overdose; served as an attending physician at Massachusetts General Hospital; and faculty at Harvard Medical School. She completed her MD and MPH degrees at Tulane University, followed by internal medicine training at Duke University. A longtime advocate for public service, she served the underserved in Nicaragua and India; New Orleans residents affected by Hurricane Katrina; and provided medical relief to earthquake victims in Haiti and Boston Marathon runners.
Best Treatment Practices in Correctional Settings: From Pre-Diversion to Parole


Shannon Royce
Shannon Royce
JD, Director, Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Shannon Royce brings a wealth of experience to her role as Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (the HHS Partnership Center). The HHS Partnership Center was formed in 2001, under the George W. Bush administration, to ensure that faith partners and nonprofits faced no barriers and were engaged as full partners in serving the poor and helping the vulnerable. Royce's professional background includes both government and private sector experience. In government, she worked for over seven years on Capitol Hill, including serving as Counsel to Sen. Chuck Grassley (now Chairman of Senate Judiciary Committee). In the private sector, Royce worked in several faith-based nonprofit organizations. Early on, she led the D.C. office of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, a group focused on issues such as sex trafficking, global hunger and protecting religious liberty. Most recently, she served as Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer at the Family Research Council (FRC), managing day-to-day operations for a team of 80 in fulfilling the FRC mission of promoting “a culture in which all human life is valued, families flourish and religious liberty thrives.” She received her Juris Doctor from the George Washington University School of Law.
Hope In Action: Partnering with Faith-Based Communities to Address the Opioid Epidemic


Brittney Sabock
Brittney Sabock
Treatment and Outreach Specialist
Office of the State's Attorney, Carroll County, Maryland
Brittney Sabock is currently the Outreach and Treatment Specialist for the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office in Maryland. Previously, she was a recovery coach at the Carroll County Health Department assisting individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. Sabock has been an advocate for treatment and recovery in Carroll County for over three years. She is also active in the Special OPTS Program, which is a high school opioid prevention program. Sabock was presented the Message of Hope Award from State’s Attorney Brian DeLeonardo in 2016. She did the Discovery Education Operation Prevention Program in conjunction with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which was shared virtually with high schools all across the country. More than 200,000 students were reached by her personal testimony. Sabock is one of the lead coordinators for the Heroin Overdose Response Team, as well as an active member of the Opioid Prevention Collation. She is dedicated to outreach, prevention and educating the community on the disease of addiction and opioid crisis. More importantly, she is a person in long-term recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
Stamp Out Heroin: One County's Three-Pronged Approach


Silvia Sacalis
Silvia Sacalis
PharmD, Vice President, Clinical Services
Healthesystems
Silvia Sacalis, PharmD, provides clinical leadership as Vice President of Clinical Services at Healthesystems. Her experience and clinical expertise span the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), retail pharmacy and managed care environments. Leveraging her technology background, clinical skills and management expertise, she helps develop and operationalize strategic clinical initiatives to help workers’ compensation insurance payers maximize the impact of a PBM program. Throughout her career, she has held various leadership roles in which she provided oversight of the development of clinical services programs and integration of analytics technology with clinical consultative support. Sacalis received her bachelor's degree in computer science and doctorate degree in pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Workers’ Comp: Opioid Use Trends and Effective Population Health Management


Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar
Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar
MD, MPH, FAAFP, FASAM, FACPM, Medical Director of Behavioral Health
Chicago Department of Public Health
Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, MD, MPH, serves as the Medical Director of Behavioral Health for the Chicago Department of Public Health, where she contributes to the department’s work in substance use prevention and treatment, mental health and violence prevention. She is a physician certified in family medicine, addiction medicine and preventive medicine (public health). She previously served as Medical Director of Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore, a quasi-public entity that oversees all publicly funded addiction and mental health treatment. In this role, she oversaw the Baltimore City Overdose Prevention Plan. Salisbury-Afshar came back to Chicago in 2014 and served as Medical Director at Heartland Health Outreach (HHO), the healthcare for the homeless provider in Chicago. While at HHO, she helped expand their addiction treatment services and develop a medication assisted treatment program. Salisbury-Afshar has been working with the Chicago Department of Public Health since September of 2016 and continues to volunteer in the medication assisted treatment program at HHO.
Addressing Gaps in the Addiction Specialty Workforce


Friedhelm Sandbrink
Friedhelm Sandbrink
MD, VA Acting National Director for Pain Management
Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Dr. Friedhelm Sandbrink completed his residency in neurology at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., and fellowship in clinical neurophysiology at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. He is board-certified in neurology, clinical neurophysiology and pain medicine. Since he joined the VA in 2001, he has been leading the Pain Management Program at the Washington VA Medical Center. The program is located within the Neurology Department and provides comprehensive interdisciplinary evaluation and treatment of patients with chronic pain conditions. He became the VA Deputy National Program Director for Pain Management in May 2014. Since October 2016, he has been leading the Pain Program for VHA as the Acting National Director for Pain Management. He is Clinical Associate Professor in Neurology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He also has academic appointments at Georgetown University and George Washington University.
VA Best Practices: S.T.O.P. P.A.I.N Initiative and Practice Guidelines
Surprising VA Data About Opioid Discontinuation, Overdose and Suicide: Clinical Implications


Wesley M. Sargent, Jr.
Wesley M. Sargent, Jr.
EdD, EdS, MA, Health Scientist
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Wesley Sargent, EdD, LPC, is a Health Scientist on the Prescription Drug Overdose Health Systems Team in Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention (DUIP). He first joined DUIP in 2014 as an Evaluation Fellow, working on multiple Rx drug overdose projects, which included the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and the evaluation of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Electronic Health Records Integration and Interoperability Expansion Program. Sargent’s current responsibilities include working with CDC-funded states to enhance PDMPs, implement community or insurer/health system interventions identifying, evaluate policy/legislative initiatives provide scientific and technical assistance. He also assists with Rx drug overdose projects that are designed to address the opioid overdose epidemic at both the health systems and state level. Sargent obtained his Doctor of Education in professional counseling and supervision with an emphasis in program evaluation at the University of West Georgia.
CDC Guideline: Implementing Clinical and Practice-Level Strategies
Advancing Science Into Action: Enhancing PDMPs and EHRs


Tonia M. Schaffer
Tonia M. Schaffer
MPH, Public Health Advisor, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Tonia M. Schaffer, MPH, Public Health Advisor/Government Project Officer, is responsible for monitoring and guiding the substance abuse prevention activities of 17 states including the Virgin Islands. Schaffer coordinates the development of program policies, the creation of monitoring tools and evaluation protocols, and the provision of training and technical assistance to grantees. Recently, Schaffer was assigned the responsibility of addressing the opioid crisis across three centers to assist states to implement prevention, treatment and recovery interventions, as well as develop monitoring tools, facilitate technical assistance strategies and document best practices. She is responsible for organizing training sessions for the division staff and state grantees. Schaffer has extensive experience in substance abuse/misuse, HIV/AIDS, behavioral health, health policy, health equity and organizational development. Schaffer has assisted a multitude of entities including state and local governmental agencies, minority colleges/universities, criminal justice institutions, community based organizations, Congressional representatives and federal agencies.
SAMHSA Opioid STR: State-Specific, Evidenced-Based Approaches to Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Support to Reduce Opioid Related Deaths


Lawrence Scholl
Lawrence Scholl
PhD, MPH, Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Lawrence Scholl is an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer working on the Overdose Epidemiology and Surveillance Team in the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention (DUIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As an EIS Officer, he completed an evaluation of the Prescription Behavior Surveillance System (PBSS), analyzed Rx histories of overdose decedents, and is conducting an analysis of PBSS prescribing data and an investigation of substance use during pregnancy. Prior to arriving at DUIP, Scholl worked with the North Carolina Division of Public Health to analyze deaths from overdoses and data collected in the North Carolina Violent Death Reporting System. He also worked with the North Carolina Division of Mental Health to examine data collected by the state’s prescription drug monitoring program. At the University of North Carolina, his research and evaluation work focused on youth suicide prevention and young driver safety.
Opioid and Fentanyl Overdoses: Rapid Surveillance and Regional Patterns


Maggie Schroeder
Maggie Schroeder
MA, LCADC, Adult Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services Branch Manager, Division of Behavioral Health
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Maggie Schroeder is the Branch Manager for the Adult Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services Branch at the Kentucky Division of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. She has master's degrees in clinical psychology and political science and is a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor. She has over 30 years of experience in providing behavioral health and substance abuse services to individuals and their families including case management and therapeutic interventions services, as well as providing clinical and administrative supervision.
Kentucky’s Comprehensive System of Care Model for Pregnant and Parenting Women with SUD


Anne  Schuchat
Anne Schuchat MD, (RADM, USPHS)
MD, (RADM, USPHS), Principal Deputy Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Anne Schuchat, MD, is the acting director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and acting administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Dr. Schuchat has been CDC's principal deputy director since 2015, and she also led CDC as acting director from January-July of 2017. She began her public health career in 1988 when she came to CDC as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer. She served as the director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases from 2006-2015. Other CDC leadership posts include: acting director of the Center for Global Health (2012-13), acting director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases (2005), and chief of the Respiratory Diseases Branch (1998-2005). Dr. Schuchat was the initial medical director of ABCs – the Active Bacterial Core surveillance of the Emerging Infections Program Network – and spearheaded prevention of newborn infection from group B streptococcal disease in the 1990s. She was promoted to Rear Admiral in the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service in 2006 and earned a second star in 2010. Dr. Schuchat was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) in 2008.

Dr. Schuchat has played key roles in a number of CDC emergency responses. Most notably, she served as Chief Health Officer for CDC's 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza response; led the CDC team responding to the SARS outbreak in Beijing in 2003; and supported the Washington D.C. field team during the 2001 bioterrorist anthrax response.

Globally, Dr. Schuchat has worked in West Africa on meningitis, pneumonia, and Ebola vaccine trials; in South Africa on surveillance and prevention projects, and represented technical and health research institutes on the GAVI Alliance board. She has authored or co-authored more than 230 scientific articles, book chapters, and reviews. Her contributions have been recognized by receipt of USPHS Meritorious Service Medals, the American Public Health Association's Maternal and Child Health Young Investigator Award, the USPHS Physician Research Officer of the Year, and an Honorary Doctorate in Science from Swarthmore College. Dr. Schuchat graduated with highest honors from Swarthmore College and with honors from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and completed her residency and chief residency in internal medicine at NYU's Manhattan VA Hospital.
Plenary Session: Agency Update Part 2


Rocky Schwartz
Rocky Schwartz
Co-Chair
New Jersey Behavioral Health Planning Council
Rocky Schwartz is a woman in long-term recovery from alcoholism and addiction for 36 years. She naively believed that she would be able to prevent her children from suffering from substance abuse. However, both of her sons have been struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. Seven years and $300,000 later, she has lost six insurance appeals. She gave up the first few appeals due to emotional fatigue. With each insurance denial, she became more and more outraged. Schwartz has become a passionate advocate for parity enforcement. She is the Co-Chair of the New Jersey Behavioral Health Planning Council, member of the New Jersey Parity Coalition and National Alliance on Mental Illness. She was recognized by the New Jersey legislature as an Advocacy Leader. She testified in the New Jersey legislature in support of the proposed parity bill. She spoke at the New Frontier of Mental Health and Addiction Event on Capitol Hill. Most recently, she testified before the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and Opioid Crisis in the White House.
A Parity Framework


Adam Seidner
Adam Seidner
MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer
The Hartford
Adam L. Seidner, MD, MPH, is the Global Medical Director at Travelers Insurance Company in Hartford, Connecticut. Since 1997 he has been responsible for technology assessment, pharmacy benefit development, quality assurance and improvement, as well as medical policy development. He received his medical degree from the State University of New York at Syracuse. He completed residencies and is board certified in Occupational & Environmental Medicine and Family Medicine. He has also received a Master of Public Health degree from study at the University of Connecticut. Seidner has earned numerous honors and awards throughout his career such as the Delta Omega National Honor Society, Secretary of State’s Public Service Award, ACOEM Research Award, AMA Physician Recognition Award, and the AAFP Family Practice Teaching Appreciation Certificate.
Workers’ Comp: Opioid Use Trends and Effective Population Health Management


Puja Seth
Puja Seth
PhD, Lead, Overdose Epidemiology and Surveillance Team
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Puja Seth is the Team Lead for the Overdose Epidemiology and Surveillance Team in the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention (DUIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Her team is responsible for the Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance (ESOOS) program. She has served in this capacity since February 2016 and has been at CDC since 2009. Prior to joining DUIP, Seth worked internationally and domestically on programmatic and research efforts on HIV testing and HIV service delivery, prevention with HIV-positive persons, program evaluation, national-level HIV data and data quality issues, capacity building, and providing technical assistance to states and countries. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Seth has her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Georgia and her master's degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She has over 55 publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and government reports, and she has given over 85 presentations.
Faster Data: The CDC-Funded Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance Program


Behshad Sheldon
Behshad Sheldon
Chair, Board of Directors
Female Opioid-Addiction Research and Clinical Experts
Behshad Sheldon is the founder and chairwoman of the board of directors for Female Opioid-addiction Research and Clinical Experts (FORCE). She is the former President and CEO of Braeburn and, through this role, came to be a passionate defender of the rights of people with opioid use disorder. Sheldon began her career in the pharmaceutical industry as a sales representative and has held positions in sales, training, and domestic and global marketing. She spent 10 years at Otsuka Pharmaceuticals and co-founded the Otsuka Princeton office in 2002. Sheldon also served as a member of the board of directors of the Otsuka R&D organization, contributing to the oversight of 18 pre-approval programs for 13 products in CNS, cardio-renal, pain, dermatology and oncology. Prior to joining Otsuka, she served as a Senior Director in Global Marketing at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where she was responsible for the marketing of Plavix and Glucophage. Sheldon's other commercial experiences have included managing successful marketing initiatives at SmithKline Beecham, including Bactroban. She has been a Director of Cerecor Inc. since July 11, 2014. Sheldon holds a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from the University of Rochester.
Gender Differences and Substance Abuse: Eliminate Discrimination, Improve Treatment and Save Lives


Susan Sherman
Susan Sherman
PhD, MPH, Professor
Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Susan Sherman is a behavioral scientist who conducts research on the structural determinants of drug use, HIV and overdose risk. She is Professor of Health, Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Co-Lead of the Addiction and Overdose workgroup of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, and Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for AIDS Research Baltimore HIV Collaboratory. She leads several studies funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Baltimore and previously led several NIH-funded intervention studies in India, Pakistan and Thailand. Sherman serves on several Baltimore and Maryland commissions on syringe exchange programs and overdose prevention.
Drug Checking: A Novel Evidence-Based Strategy for Preventing Overdose