Swedish Medical Center to Host "Crush the Crisis" Opioid Take Back Day on October 28
Englewood, CO, October 12, 2023 --(PR.com)-- Swedish Medical Center announced today it is hosting its fifth “Crush the Crisis” national opioid take back day to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications on Saturday, October 28, 2023. The event coincides with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and Swedish invites the community to safely dispose of unused or expired medication.
“We’ve seen firsthand the devastating consequences of drug misuse and abuse,” said Dr. Jaya Kumar, chief medical officer of Swedish Medical Center. “It is vital to increase awareness of this important issue and offer our community a safe way to dispose of medications to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.”
Law enforcement officers from the Englewood Police Department will be collecting tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana). Ointments, lotions, drops, liquid medication in leak-proof containers, vape cartridges without batteries and pet medication will also be accepted. Any medications will be accepted; however, needles, syringes, lancets or liquids will not be accepted.
Swedish Medical Center is participating as part of HCA Healthcare’s fifth annual national “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day. Last year’s collaboration across 100 hospitals and clinics in 17 states led to more than 19,000 pounds of unused of expired medications collected.
As a part of its commitment to curb the opioid crisis, HCA Healthcare, the parent company of Swedish Medical Center, has worked with the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. HCA Healthcare has given $750,000 to the Collaborative to support the development of safer pain management protocols and reversal of the opioid crisis.
As a learning health system, HCA Healthcare uses data from approximately 35 million annual patient encounters to help continuously improve care. The organization uses the science of “big data” to reduce opioid misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings, including:
• Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR): a multi-modal approach to pain management using pre, intra and post-operative interventions to optimize outcomes. HCA Healthcare’s ESR programs have demonstrated significant improvements in surgical recovery and patient satisfaction, including decreases in opioid usage.
• Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): aims to stem increasing rates of opioid-related addiction, misuse diversion and death by making it more difficult for medication-seekers to doctor-shop and alter prescriptions. Physicians have access to aggregated electronic health records, providing data that will allow them to prescribe opioids judiciously.
“Crush the Crisis” will take place from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at Swedish Medical Center’s ER Entrance (200 feet east of the corner of S. Logan Ave. & E. Girard Ave.) in Englewood, Colorado. For more information, visit hcahealthcare.com/crushthecrisis or call (833) 582-1970.
Swedish Medical Center is located in the south metro Denver area where it has been a proud member of the community for more than 110 years. An acute care hospital with 408 licensed beds, annually Swedish cares for more than 200,000 patients with a team of approximately 2,000 dedicated employees, 300 volunteers and 1,400 physicians.
As a national leader in neurosciences, Swedish serves as the hub of the Swedish Neuro Network. The hospital is the Rocky Mountain Region’s preeminent referral center for the most advanced stroke treatment and was the state’s first Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. Swedish also is home to Colorado’s first fully comprehensive robotics program with nine robots in dedicated robotics operating rooms; patients benefit from a high level of specialization with robotics-trained caregivers at every stage of treatment, as well as robotics-specific design in the program’s dedicated pre-op, ORs, PACU and inpatient spaces. As the region’s neurotrauma and orthopedic trauma provider and a level I trauma facility, more than 150 facilities regularly transfer highly complex cases to Swedish. The trauma program includes a burn and reconstructive center, which has been certified for adult burn care by the American Burn Association and recognized nationally for providing the highest quality of care to adult and pediatric burn and reconstructive patients.
Swedish Medical Center is proud to be a part of the HCA Healthcare’s Continental Division. Consistently among the Denver Business Journals’ list of top corporate philanthropists in the Denver-metro area, HealthONE contributed more than $889,000 through cash and in-kind donations last year alone, and also provided $677M in charity, uninsured and other uncompensated care along with nearly $200M in federal, state and local taxes.
“We’ve seen firsthand the devastating consequences of drug misuse and abuse,” said Dr. Jaya Kumar, chief medical officer of Swedish Medical Center. “It is vital to increase awareness of this important issue and offer our community a safe way to dispose of medications to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.”
Law enforcement officers from the Englewood Police Department will be collecting tablets, capsules and patches of Hydrocodone (Norco, Lortab, Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Tramadol (Ultram), Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Morphine, Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and Oxymorphone (Opana). Ointments, lotions, drops, liquid medication in leak-proof containers, vape cartridges without batteries and pet medication will also be accepted. Any medications will be accepted; however, needles, syringes, lancets or liquids will not be accepted.
Swedish Medical Center is participating as part of HCA Healthcare’s fifth annual national “Crush the Crisis” opioid take back day. Last year’s collaboration across 100 hospitals and clinics in 17 states led to more than 19,000 pounds of unused of expired medications collected.
As a part of its commitment to curb the opioid crisis, HCA Healthcare, the parent company of Swedish Medical Center, has worked with the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. HCA Healthcare has given $750,000 to the Collaborative to support the development of safer pain management protocols and reversal of the opioid crisis.
As a learning health system, HCA Healthcare uses data from approximately 35 million annual patient encounters to help continuously improve care. The organization uses the science of “big data” to reduce opioid misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings, including:
• Enhanced Surgical Recovery (ESR): a multi-modal approach to pain management using pre, intra and post-operative interventions to optimize outcomes. HCA Healthcare’s ESR programs have demonstrated significant improvements in surgical recovery and patient satisfaction, including decreases in opioid usage.
• Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS): aims to stem increasing rates of opioid-related addiction, misuse diversion and death by making it more difficult for medication-seekers to doctor-shop and alter prescriptions. Physicians have access to aggregated electronic health records, providing data that will allow them to prescribe opioids judiciously.
“Crush the Crisis” will take place from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at Swedish Medical Center’s ER Entrance (200 feet east of the corner of S. Logan Ave. & E. Girard Ave.) in Englewood, Colorado. For more information, visit hcahealthcare.com/crushthecrisis or call (833) 582-1970.
Swedish Medical Center is located in the south metro Denver area where it has been a proud member of the community for more than 110 years. An acute care hospital with 408 licensed beds, annually Swedish cares for more than 200,000 patients with a team of approximately 2,000 dedicated employees, 300 volunteers and 1,400 physicians.
As a national leader in neurosciences, Swedish serves as the hub of the Swedish Neuro Network. The hospital is the Rocky Mountain Region’s preeminent referral center for the most advanced stroke treatment and was the state’s first Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. Swedish also is home to Colorado’s first fully comprehensive robotics program with nine robots in dedicated robotics operating rooms; patients benefit from a high level of specialization with robotics-trained caregivers at every stage of treatment, as well as robotics-specific design in the program’s dedicated pre-op, ORs, PACU and inpatient spaces. As the region’s neurotrauma and orthopedic trauma provider and a level I trauma facility, more than 150 facilities regularly transfer highly complex cases to Swedish. The trauma program includes a burn and reconstructive center, which has been certified for adult burn care by the American Burn Association and recognized nationally for providing the highest quality of care to adult and pediatric burn and reconstructive patients.
Swedish Medical Center is proud to be a part of the HCA Healthcare’s Continental Division. Consistently among the Denver Business Journals’ list of top corporate philanthropists in the Denver-metro area, HealthONE contributed more than $889,000 through cash and in-kind donations last year alone, and also provided $677M in charity, uninsured and other uncompensated care along with nearly $200M in federal, state and local taxes.
Contact
Swedish Medical Center
Richard Grissom
(303) 788-5944
SwedishHospital.com
Richard Grissom
(303) 788-5944
SwedishHospital.com
Contact
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