Despite the numbers for prescription opioid deaths declining in Ohio in 2017, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to educate on the dangers of opioid misuse and abuse as opioid deaths continue to rise. #opioids #opioidconsortium

Randy M. Jernejcic, MD, MMM, directs the University Hospitals (UH) Patient Safety Opioid Steering Committee and chairs the Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium.

Since coming to UH in 2017, Dr. Jernejcic formed the UH Patient Safety Opioid Steering Committee, a collaborative system-wide effort to increase awareness and accountability and drive meaningful change in the war against opioid overuse. To date, efforts have resulted in meaningful reductions across the UH system for opioid units prescribed in internal and family medicine – the first two areas targeted.

Dr. Jernejcic also serves as the Physician Chair for the Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium, the first and only collaboration of its kind formed by the Center for Health Affairs, UH and four other Cleveland-based health systems to share and implement evidence-based practices, promote policy changes and increase prevention efforts to help reduce the number of opioid overdoses and deaths.