Latest News
The Integrated Opioid and Addiction Care ECHO at Hennepin Healthcare is hosting a session titled “Compulsive Food Misuse: Is Food Addiction a Substance Use Disorder?” by Dr. Paul Earley on Thursday, December 5th, at 12:15 pm via Zoom.
This session is part of a larger series on Co-Occurring Eating Disorders and Substance Use. You can view the attached curriculum for a full list of topics covered in the series.
To join this and future sessions, please register on the iECHO program page.
If you have any questions, contact Rachel Langer at Rachel.Langer@hcmed.org.
Wisconsin Suspected Overdose Alerts for Rapid Response (WiSOARR) system will help the state's efforts to address overdose epidemic
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has launched an innovative new online tool for people working in overdose spike response, substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. The Wisconsin Suspected Overdose Alerts for Rapid Response (WiSOARR) system will provide near real-time data on when and where suspected overdoses may have occurred to inform immediate actions to address drug overdoses.
"WiSOARR gives our substance use partners a faster and clearer understanding of when and where suspected overdoses are occurring in their communities," said Michelle Haese, DHS director of substance use initiatives. "This system is a step forward in our ongoing work to better understand and respond to the ever-evolving drug overdose epidemic with the right strategies at the right time."
View the entire news release.
Wisconsin Harm Reduction Conference ReturnsSave the date for July 16–17, 2025!
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services will host the Wisconsin Harm Reduction Conference on July 16–17, 2025, at the Chula Vista in Wisconsin Dells; there is also a virtual attendance option.
Wisconsin’s second Harm Reduction Conference will be providing a time and space to learn and network. The goal of the conference is to bring together experts in the field of harm reduction along with others interested in learning about and expanding harm reduction services, resources, and policies.
Conference objectives
As more information becomes available, it will be posted to the conference website.
If you have a question please contact the planning team at citee-events@uwm.edu.
Related events
The Wisconsin Substance Use Prevention Conference is scheduled to be held in 2025. The dates and location for this event have not yet been set.
The Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit is scheduled for May 6–8, 2025, in the Wisconsin Dells and virtually.
A new program being implemented at seven ThedaCare Hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) provides help and hope for those experiencing an opioid use disorder.
The Overdose Response Protocol aims to help people safely recover from any level of inappropriate use of opioids such as fentanyl, heroin or oxycodone, explained Dr. Ezra Lyon, MD, Associate Medical Director for Integrative Addiction Treatment and Family Medicine Practitioner at ThedaCare Physicians-Waupaca.
“When a person comes to the Emergency Department, our teams take extra time to ask an additional question about that person’s opioid use during the intake screening,” he explained. “We hope that by asking the question, we can connect with people who may be experiencing an opioid use disorder and make it easier for them to seek help.”
If a person does respond to the question and it is determined they are experiencing an opioid use disorder, teams can encourage them to engage with the ThedaCare Overdose Response Protocol and get them started on a path to recovery Dr. Lyon explained. The Overdose Response Protocol works with people to get them into counseling immediately and prescribe medication if necessary.
Provisional data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2023 – a decrease of 3% from the 111,029 deaths estimated in 2022. This is the first annual decrease in drug overdose deaths since 2018.
“While it is encouraging to see the decrease in opioid deaths, there is still work to do and help to offer,” Dr. Lyon noted. “These are premature deaths that could have been prevented. Since 2009, an increasing proportion of drug overdose deaths have been caused by opioids, especially since the introduction of fentanyl into the illegal drug supply.”
Fentanyl is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
“Our hope is that people will see our Emergency Departments as safe places that can provide help when they are considering stopping the use of opioids,” Dr. Lyon explained. “The Overdose Response Protocol can help reduce the barriers for people to get help. There’s no judgment. Our goal is to try to keep people alive.”
Responding to Community Needs
Every three years, ThedaCare conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment in partnership with Public Health and many other stakeholders to help understand the health and well-being of communities, as well as what community members need to help achieve health goals.
“Improving mental health and reducing substance abuse are some of the highest concerns in all of the Community Health Needs Assessments we do in the communities our hospitals serve,” said Tracey Ratzburg, Community Health Coordinator for ThedaCare. “Addressing those concerns then becomes part of our commitment to improving the population health and well-being in our communities. The Overdose Response Protocol is an example of that commitment.”
The Overdose Response Protocol includes providing buprenorphine (Suboxone) under the care of an ED provider to help relieve any withdrawal symptoms. The protocol also connects the patient to a recovery coach through ThedaCare’s ED2Recovery program, and upon release from the hospital, sending the patient home with a HOPE Kit. That kit includes naloxone (Narcan) in case of an overdose, fentanyl test strips, a CPR mask, and information about local resources, including recovery groups and outpatient clinics that can continue medication. Many patients also receive a short-term prescription for Suboxone.
In addition, each patient is connected to a local medical provider for continuing consultation. Care team members follow up with patients to help them establish with a clinic in their area. The patients also receive ongoing support from their recovery coach.
Active in Appleton
ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Appleton began expanded screenings in its ED in late January 2024.
“We have seen patients who have been identified as having a substance use disorder that we have then engaged in the Overdose Response Protocol,” said Dr. Sean McCloy, a ThedaCare Emergency Medicine physician. “Once a patient is identified as having an opioid use disorder, they are offered the opportunity to participate in the Overdose Response Protocol. We provide treatment, and then once they are stabilized for whatever condition they came to the ED with, we will release them with a HOPE Kit. The ED2Recovery Coach connection is a very important component of this program. It’s somebody who has been through what they’re going through and can provide guidance and encouragement.”
The Overdose Response Protocol is now being implemented at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center–Neenah and will be active at all of the ThedaCare Critical Access Hospitals in Berlin, New London, Shawano, Waupaca and Wild Rose by the end of 2024.
“I don’t want anyone else to die of this disease, which is what substance use disorder really is – a disease,” said Dr. Lyon. “We want our Emergency Departments to be safe places where people can get help and begin their recovery.”
The Overdose Response Protocol is a project of the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine and is funded by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Dr. Ritu Bhatnagar from the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine and Jill Lindwall, Quality Director with the Wisconsin Hospital Association have been instrumental in helping ThedaCare implement the Overdose Response Protocol.
Shared by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
UpliftWI now is available daily, including holidays, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. by calling 534-202-5438.
UpliftWI is Wisconsin's peer-run warmline operated by Mental Health America of Wisconsin under a grant from the Division of Care and Treatment of Services. It is open to all state residents.
A warmline is a nonemergency source of support for people experiencing increased stress or symptoms from mental health and substance use concerns. The operators are certified peer specialists. Certified peers specialists are people who have navigated their own mental health and substance use concerns, completed a training course, and passed a state exam that tests their skills in how to support others. They listen to the caller's needs, help them problem solve based on their life experiences and training, and provide information on community resources if requested. The goal is to diffuse difficult situations before they become a crisis through conversations and connections between people with similar life experiences.
The support offered by UpliftWI is free of charge.
Operators have access to interpreters if the caller does not speak English.
UpliftWI is an anonymous and confidential service. Callers are not required to provide their name, address, or other identifying information. The conversation stays between the caller and operator unless the caller requests support from others.
UpliftWI previously operated daily, including holidays, from noon to midnight. The new hours are effective today, October 1. There are no current plans to be open 24/7.
The type of support provided by UpliftWI is also available through drop-in visits to a peer recovery center and scheduled overnight stays at a peer-run respite.
Strategies will focus on harm reduction services and supports
Ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is highlighting new state efforts to end overdose deaths and improve the health of people who use drugs. This annual observance, as proclaimed by Gov. Tony Evers, is a day to remember those lost to drug overdose, acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind, and act to save lives.
"Too many of our family members, friends, and neighbors are dying due to an unsafe drug supply, with no community immune to the impacts of the overdose epidemic," said DHS Director of Substance Use Initiatives Michelle Haese. "Together we can make a difference by meeting people who use drugs where they're at in their life journey without judgement, just the support and tools they need to stay safe."
Drug overdoses decreased slightly nationally and in Wisconsin in 2023, the first decrease since 2018. Despite this, more than 1,700 fatal drug overdoses occurred in Wisconsin in 2023, an increase of 45% since 2018.
Regional centers will serve those with mental health and substance use needs
Wisconsin has taken another step forward to help people with mental health and substance use emergencies with the opening of five crisis stabilization centers for adults. Crisis stabilization facilities support people who can't stay in their community safely, but don't need to be hospitalized. Funded by the Department of Health Services (DHS), the centers provide a dedicated location for this level of care for most counties.
"Whether it's been declaring 2023 the Year of Mental Health, securing new investments for school-based mental health and other initiatives, or supporting the launch of the state's 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, we've been working to find solutions to the burgeoning mental health crisis facing our state since 2019," said Gov. Tony Evers. "This includes bolstering our state's crisis care infrastructure so that folks can access the care and support they need when and where they need it—especially in an emergency. While the opening of these new facilities is a tremendous step forward, we know there's far more to do, and we're committed to building on these efforts to ensure every Wisconsinite has access to mental and behavioral health care regardless of their ZIP code."
View the entire news release here.
The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) presented David Galbis-Reig, MD, DFASAM with the Presidential Citation Award. WisMed’s President has the privilege of presenting a Presidential Citation to a physician or non-physician who has made a significant contribution to medicine or public health.
Dr. Galbis-Reig received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia in 1999 and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2004. He is board certified and involved in Maintenance of Certification in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and in the sub-specialty of Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
As the Medical Director of Addiction Services at Ascension All Saints Hospital, he has passionately advocated for appropriate medical treatment of patients with mental health and addictive diseases for the past 20 years. He is the Medical Director of Addiction Services at Racine County Behavioral Health Services and the Kenosha KARE Center. He is a Past President of the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine (WISAM) and the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation.
“Dr. Galbis-Reig’s compassionate care and unwavering commitment to his patients who struggle with addiction has transformed the lives of countless individuals in our community,” said Kristin McManmon, Ascension All Saints Hospital President. “This recognition is a testament to his dedication, expertise and tireless efforts in addressing one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time. We are grateful for his outstanding contributions to Ascension Wisconsin and the positive impact he’s had in the community.”
Dr. Galbis-Reig led WISAM to partner with DHS to expand the availability of providers who can treat opioid use disorder by providing twelve buprenorphine trainings throughout Wisconsin between 2019 and 2021. He is an active member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) where he serves as the Chair of the Distinguished Fellows Committee and is the Chair for the BEST Study Tool Subcommittee. He has contributed to policy decisions in the state as a former member of the Wisconsin Marijuana Prevention Ad-Hoc Committee of the State Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (SCAODA). He is a current Board Member of the HOPE Council in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
He is the current Medical Director for the Ascension All Saints Women of Worth Intensive Outpatient Program. Women of Worth is a donor funded, family-centered substance abuse treatment program in Racine and Kenosha counties designed specifically for women. Dr. Galbis-Reig’s commitment to the program and his relationship with its donors has inspired over $500,000 in donor contributions toward Addiction Service at Ascension All Saints.
View Full WMS Press Release Here
On April 1, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted its plan for the annual share of $7505 million of opioid settlement funds to the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JFC). As a result of settlements reached by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Wisconsin will receive $36 million this year that will be used to prevent opioid misuse while continuing and strengthening successful efforts for harm reduction, treatment, and recovery.
“This is a thoughtful plan built from the advice we received through surveys, listening sessions, and roundtable discussions, as well as reviews of data and already existing programs, and by identifying the needs that still exist,” said Kirsten Johnson, DHS Secretary-designee. “We want to thank our partners, providers, and people with experience with opioid misuse and their family and friends, for sharing their ideas that helped us shape a plan that moves us toward the goal of ending the state’s opioid epidemic.”
Attorney General Josh Kaul added, “The efforts of the Wisconsin Department of Justice and others to get accountability in connection with the opioid epidemic have secured the recovery of approximately 3/4 of a billion dollars. It’s essential that these funds be used as effectively as possible to combat the epidemic and save lives.”
Feedback from statewide listening sessions and surveys recommend how funds should be used
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded 13 grants worth $830,000 over the next two years to community organizations throughout Wisconsin to help address the youth and young adult vaping epidemic. Funding for the Vaping Prevention and Treatment Initiatives (VPTI) grants comes from current payments to Wisconsin as part of a $14.7 million multiyear JUUL Settlement announced by the Wisconsin Department of Justice in September 2022.
The DHS Tobacco Prevention and Control Program hosted virtual statewide listening sessions and online surveys in summer 2023 to gather input from residents about vaping. The data collected helped drive the decision to support local organizations addressing the vaping epidemic, along with statewide efforts already in progress.
"The concerns and ideas shared by Wisconsinites show the impact vaping has in communities across the state," said DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson. "Through these grant awards, local organizations will protect teens and young adults in their communities from the dangers of nicotine addiction."
Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine563 Carter Court, Suite B,Kimberly, WI 54136
