Hazelden, CDC and Health-Care Industry Leaders work to Reduce Alcohol-Related Injuries
Hazelden and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are bringing together leaders from the area’s top health-care systems, insurance companies and major employers in a community-wide effort to decrease the number of alcohol-related accidents and injuries.
The one-day event, to take place at the Landmark Center on Tuesday, April 21 at 8:00 a.m., will train local health-care providers in CDC’s Screening, Brief Intervention or Referral to Treatment Program (SBIRT) and develop support for implementation of the SBIRT protocol throughout all levels of the health-care system.
SBIRT is an evidence-based approach to identifying patients whose alcohol-related behaviors put them at risk for injury or illness and providing early intervention and, if appropriate, treatment. The program has been shown to decrease the frequency and severity of alcohol use, reduce the risk of trauma, and related costs. And by preventing more severe alcohol-related health problems, the SBIRT program can significantly reduce medical and societal costs and improve patients’ quality of life.
Although CDC has been training health-care providers in the SBIRT program for several years, this event marks the first time that industry leaders from an entire metro area are coming together to put their support behind such a program. Attendees will include leaders from the Mayo Clinic and Hennepin County Medical Center, HealthPartners, the Buyers Health Care Action Group, the Minnesota Brain Injury Association, the Veterans Administration Minneapolis Health Center, Regions Hospital, state legislators and state agency personnel. There are still openings for interested persons wishing to participate — please contact Kathy Graf at 651-213-4701.
The event is open to the media — please contact Christine Anderson at 651-213-4231 to confirm attendance.
For more information, please visit www.hazelden.org
