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In January and February, Jesse Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Anesthesiology, was on special assignment where he was appointed temporary special advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General and his team. The top priority of his assignment was to work on the development and execution of our national opioid strategy.
“A lot of what the Surgeon General’s office does is think about the best ways to communicate messages related to the health of the American people,” Ehrenfeld said.
Ehrenfeld mentions that it has recently been reported that less than 50 perfect of Americans think there is a cure and treatment for opioid addiction. “A key priority for the White House and the Surgeon General is to educate the American people to let people know that there is hope and there is evidence based treatment available for opioid addiction,” he said.
Ehrenfeld was on orders with the U.S. Navy as a reserve officer. His background in healthcare policy, work in anesthesiology and pain management, and experience in healthcare strategy led to him receiving this opportunity. Ehrenfeld explains, “I was delighted to receive this cross agency opportunity, which allowed me to use my unique skill set to advance the work of the Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services.”
Specifically, Ehrenfeld helped develop pieces that will be published in peer-reviewed literature and rolled out strategies for messaging. According to Ehrenfeld, some of the communications tools he helped develop are already being used in the field today but there are some pieces still undergoing the approval process. “Getting these messages out across our nation requires a long term approach and the partnership with a variety of stakeholders across the nation, in healthcare and beyond. Ultimately, all of this work is about trying to keep our communities healthy,” he states.
Ehrenfeld said he learned a lot during his assignment and took away a great deal of information that will be helpful as research is continued at VUMC and throughout the region about how to effectively help patients avoid opioid addiction and to help them recover when it does occur.