OSKALOOSA, Iowa — The Mahaska Health Surgery Team has made significant strides in tackling the negative impacts of post-surgery prescription opioids.
The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program is designed to decrease the use of pain medications after surgery.
The main goal is to put patients first.
"This is a trap. What we thought were the good stuff, what we thought was the way to treat pain with opioids, was frankly this massive fraud. And it's the crime of the century," said John Greenwood, COO and cofounder of Goldfinch Health.
Oskaloosa hospital Mahaska Health is working with the help and consultation of Goldfinch to combat the opioid epidemic.
"Sometimes that prescription that I provided after a surgery some people, as we learned, would take that and that was their first access to a pill that would become a problem for them. And I never really read that, nor did I understand that, because I was brought up thinking we weren't doing a good job unless we were giving people narcotics. So, about four years ago I just quit writing prescriptions for narcotics, and I haven't written one since," Mahaska Health chief medical officer Dr. Timothy Breon said.
This new program, which is part of the "Billion Pill Pledge", is an opioid use prevention program designed to support patients through surgery and recovery by implementing and delivering advanced, opioid-minimizing surgery protocols.
The program provides instructions on what to drink before surgery, such as consuming electrolytes.
Additionally, it helps patients be prepared for after surgery by preparing their house with ice packs.
This program has goals of impacting and spreading throughout the rest of the state.
"And as a prosecutor I know that I've seen people going through addiction and it hurts not just them but their kids, their families, their communities, their workplaces. Addiction is devastating and we know that opioid addiction is something that touches all parts of the state," Attorney General Brenna Bird said.
The project continues to emphasize their ultimate goal is to put the patients first.