HJAR Sep/Oct 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2020 27 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com said Archer. “We are enormously grateful.” Smith served as chairman of the Department of Psychiatry from 2001 to 2013, during which he oversaw the design and construction of the Psy- chiatric Research Institute, which opened in 2008. He was named dean of the UAMS College of Medicine and executive vice chancellor in 2013, a position he held for two years before stepping down to become a professor of psychiatry, med- icine and public health. In 2018, he was again named chair of the Department of Psychiatry. “This generous gift will help us advance our mission of improving mental health for patients and their families through the integration of clin- ical care, education, and research,” said Smith. “Specifically, these funds will be used to further the groundbreaking work that PRI is doing in its Center for Trauma Prevention, Research and Inno- vation. Without generous donors like the Glea- sons, we could not undertake such important work.” Dr. Edward Kramer Joins CHI St. Vincent Neurology Clinic, Hot Springs CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs welcomes Dr. Edward Kramer to the team of neurologists at the CHI St. Vincent Neurology Clinic. Kramer brings more than 20 years of experience in the field, including his specialty in electromyography, a diagnostic procedure to assess the health of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. “We are pleased to welcome Dr. Kramer to the CHI St. Vincent Neurology Clinic in Hot Springs,” said CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Pres- ident Dr. Doug Ross. “His experience will allow us to continue to provide the most advanced care to patients in our community with diseases of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and muscles.” Kramer most recently served as medical direc- tor of Baptist Health Neurology in Conway. He previously spent 18 years at a private neurology practice in Fort Worth, Tex. and five years as an assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.  After attending medical school at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medi- cine, Kramer completed an internship and resi- dency at the University of South Alabama Med- ical Center. With a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a master’s degree in directing and playwriting, Kramer also worked as a professional actor, director, and playwright before starting his medical career.  Kramer is now seeing patients at the CHI St. Vincent Neurology Clinic in Hot Springs located at 1 Mercy Lane, Suite 505. Number of Overdose Saves Tops 500 through Arkansas Program Naloxone kits and training for law enforcement and other first responders to help them respond to life threatening opioid overdoses have saved more than 500 individuals as of the first week- end in June – a milestone that highlights the importance of the Arkansas Naloxone Project and efforts to educate Arkansans about opioid addiction. “This was never a number we wanted to reach, but I am so thankful that this program exists because that is 500 people who got a second chance at life because of naloxone,” said State Drug Director Kirk Lane, who works with the Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services. In October of 2016, the Arkansas Nalox- one Project began distributing the kits to law enforcement agencies, rural fire and EMS orga- nizations, school nurses, librarians, and treat- ment and recovery facilities. The kits included a nasal form of naloxone called Narcan. Narcan is an FDA-approved medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid-induced overdose. The Project, which is a partnership among the State Drug Director’s Office, DHS, and the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI), has distributed more than 7,000 Narcan kits and has provided training to over 8,000 first responders. The kits are funded through federal grants and private grants from the Arkansas Blue & You Foundation. Illicit and prescription drugs that are opioids or mixed with opioids cause most overdoses and overdose deaths in Arkansas. The ability to administer Narcan has proven to be effective in reducing overdose deaths. There have been lives saved through this project in 33 of Arkansas’s 75 counties, with the most saves in Pulaski County (Arkansas’s most populous county). Since the COVID 19 public health emergency began in March, Arkansas overdoses increased due to economic, social, and isolation pressures. The Arkansas Naloxone Project recorded 92 saves in this time period compared with 44 during the same period in 2019. “One thing to know, especially during this time, is that people don’t have to wait for first respond- ers to save a loved one who overdosed,” Lane said. “To reduce the chance of people dying, Gov. Asa Hutchinson has issued a standing order allowing Arkansas-licensed pharmacists to sell naloxone to people who have friends and loved ones at risk of overdosing.” Arkansas Code Annotated 20-13-604 provides immunity from civil liability to those who admin- ister naloxone during an overdose. To help people administer the medication, the State Drug Director’s Office and Criminal Justice Institute created the nARcansas app, which is a free opioid overdose resource that provides steps on how to administer a life-saving dose of nal- oxone as well as other valuable resources about opioids. Earlier this year, the app was updated to include voice directions in English and Spanish for administering naloxone. To download the app, go to Google Play or the Apple App Store. To learn more about the State’s efforts to combat opioid abuse, go to www.artakeback.org . To get mental health or addiction help in Arkansas, call (844) 763-0198. UAMS FayW. Boozman College of Public Health Appoints New Advisory BoardMembers The Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences appointed new members to its advisory Edward Kramer, MD