The Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation
for Opioid Research & Education Board
Message from the President
It is with great pleasure we announce the establishment of the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research & Education. As a musculoskeletal specialist, I have witnessed firsthand the lethal effects of unintended opioid addiction, diversion, and abuse; from families shattered by the death of a family member from an opioid-related overdose to communities devastated by widespread opioid-abuse. The latest estimates by the US Department of Health and Human Services finds that approximately 130 Americans die every day from an opioid-related overdose, or over 47,000 deaths annually.
The opioid epidemic is a multi-factorial problem plaguing the United States today. It is a product of a complex interplay between patient dynamics, opioid marketing, demands for aggressive pain management, and unintended dependence on prescription opioids. A multi-factorial problem as significant as the opioid epidemic is going to require a multi-pronged solution.
The Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Opioid Foundation was established in response to this epidemic, and embraces a multi-pronged strategy, which will include:
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Raising public awareness of the opioid epidemic;
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Educating patients on safe opioid use;
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Informing physicians on optimal opioid prescribing strategies;
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Supporting research aimed to decrease opioid use and potential addiction;
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Advancing non-opioid pain management strategies; and
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Advocating for evidenced-based legislative policies.
Our Board and I look forward to pursuing the challenge of curbing the opioid epidemic.
Asif Ilyas, MD, MBA, FACS
Foundation President
Foundation Board Members
FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS