OPINION -- Earlier this week, I attend the Oregon Health Forum breakfast on Oregon’s Addiction Services System. Judge Eric Bloch moderated the discussion. The panelists were an all-star cast including former governor John Kitzhaber, Mike Marshall (Co-founder and director, Oregon Recovers), Dr. Rachel Solotaroff (CEO, Central City Concern), and Maree Wacker (CEO, De Paul Treatment Centers).
Each panelist was eloquent and concise in laying out their perspective. No one offered partisan or simplistic solutions. There was no wasted time finding fault and placing blame. Like the process of recovery itself, the focus was the future and effective solutions. At the end, I could see next steps that gave reasonable hope and a path to begin rebuilding together
This is important because addiction a critical problem for everyone’s future – 70 percent of us are directly affected. All of us pay our share of the 5 to 6 Billion dollars of cost per year addiction generates. That’s a lot of money, and a better system would pay big dividends.
But unlike high performers in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Vermont, Oregon ranks 51st in the nation for access to treatment at the same time 10 percent of Oregonians have untreated addiction. This is an opportunity for net savings if we can all put our shoulder to the wheel and make it happen.
This event is one example of the work of the Oregon Health Forum. It is a valuable asset regardless of where you sit in healthcare’s range of competing priorities because every workable solution begins by understanding the problem’s true nature and its related consequences. Let us know what you think are the critical issues by contacting us here.
Join the discussion and support your right to be part of the solution.
Dr. Rohwer is executive director of Curandi and a member of The Lund Report Board of Directors where he serves as treasurer. He can be reached at [email protected]
