Moderator: Sarah Bacon, PhD, Team Lead, State Opioid Overdose Prevention State Support Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CE Certified By: AMA,AAFP

In 2016, Missouri began participating in two surveillance programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Enhanced State Opioid Overdose Surveillance (ESOOS) and National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). While the overall goals of the two programs are different, both require the identification of deaths due to specific causes via death certificates, followed by the acquisition and linkage to data from coroners and medical examiners (C/MEs). In the first year of ESOOS and NVDRS implementation, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services encountered lessons learned that would be valuable to share as ESOOS is expanded and other states begin participating. Presenters will identify barriers related to hiring staff, writing a contract for C/ME reimbursement, C/ME outreach and obtaining records in a timely fashion to meet CDC deadlines. They will explain how the obstacles were overcome as ESOOS and NVDRS staff worked closely together, along with other department staff, C/MEs, and the Missouri Coroners’ and Medical Examiners’ Association. Now in the second year, the department plans to expand participation throughout the state and follow through on lessons learned.

UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
- Describe the coroner/medical examiner system in Missouri, provide brief descriptions of ESOOS and NVDRS, and list the requirements to participate in each of these programs.
- Describe the process and activities MODHSS conducted in order to implement both programs simultaneously and garner support within the C/ME community.
- Identify activities completed, lessons learned and next steps in implementation of ESOOS and NVDRS.