Clarke County Hospital (CCH) is proud to announce participation in the Billion Pill Pledge program, launched in conjunction with Goldfinch Health. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led a panel discussion at CCH on Monday, February 26, where she was joined by representatives from Goldfinch Health and Clarke County Hospital. The panel educated community members on the purpose and mission of the program and the benefits it will have on patients and the Clarke community as a whole.
Surgery has long been known as a gateway to long-term opioid painkiller use and dependence. Studies show up to 9% of surgery patients who have never used an opioid become long-term users of opioids after being legally prescribed opioids after a surgery.
Through the Billion Pill Pledge program, Clarke County Hospital will enhance its surgery protocols and optimize pain management around surgery. These industry-leading approaches are designed to enhance patients’ preparation for surgery, better manage any surgery-related pain, and minimize opioid use both before and after surgery.
“We are excited to launch the Billion Pill Pledge program at our hospital,” said Brian Evans, Clarke County Hospital CEO. “Research has provided us with a more effective pain prevention protocol as well as a safer treatment plan for our patients. The program also strongly impacts the opioid crisis in Iowa and across the country. Opioid challenges are not just patient challenges but they affect our community as a whole. The Billion Pill Pledge program provides the knowledge and tools necessary to enhance patient care through safer alternatives for pain management and reducing exposure to opioids in our community.”
As a part of this program, patients will have access to a Goldfinch Nurse Navigator who are experts in surgery and recovery. Patients will receive a “Prepared for Surgery” care package prior to surgery. This box includes a number of items key to optimizing a patient’s surgery experience. Goldfinch Nurses will also support patients during the critical period before and after surgery to help increase the use of opioid minimizing surgery protocols.
“The nurse support provided by Goldfinch Health is a wonderful extension of our surgical team for optimizing patient care,” said Jennie Hall, Clarke County Hospital Nursing Services Director. “Our staff provide excellent education and resources, but the Billion Pill Pledge program will enhance the post-surgical recovery experience by allowing access to a Goldfinch Health Nurse Navigator up until the patient’s follow up appointment.”
The mission of the Billion Pill Pledge is to reduce leftover opioids after surgery in the United States by 1 billion pills each year, thereby avoiding those pills being possibly diverted to unauthorized use by others.
Goldfinch Health is an Iowa City-based company dedicated to enhancing surgical outcomes, improving the surgery experience for patients, and reducing opioid use.
For more information about the Billion Pill Pledge program, please contact: Meredith Allan: Meredith.Allan@goldfinchhealth.com
Clarke County Hospital (CCH) is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in Osceola, Iowa. For nearly 70 years, Clarke County Hospital has provided health care services to the community and surrounding areas of Clarke County. CCH is an affiliate of UnityPoint Health.
To learn more about Clarke County Hospital, please contact Shannon Harris at smharris@clarkehosp.org or visit http://www.clarkehosp.org