America’s Opioid Crisis and the Role of Our Future Healthcare Professionals

Signature Lecture Set to Raise Awareness and Care on a Continuing National Epidemic

San Antonio, Sept. 24, 2019- In honor of the vocation of the great Sr. Charles Marie Frank CCVI, the UIW Ila Faye Miller School of Nursing & Health Professions, will host its annual lecture named for her on Sept. 24, at 2:30 p.m. This year, Dr. Melanie A. Simpson will present her poster and research titled The Opioid Crisis: The Many Roles of Nursing. The event will take place in the McCombs Center University Sky Room and end at approximately 5 p.m.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids every day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment and criminal justice involvement.

Simpson, Pain Management Team Coordinator at the University of Kansas Health System, will speak to students seeking a career in the medical field. Her presentation will explore the role that these students will play in regard to the current opioid crisis in America and the impact they can make in their future careers as health professionals.

The annual lecture honors the legacy of Sr. Charles Marie Frank, CCVI, former Nursing Division director at Incarnate Word College. Sr. Charles Marie Frank, CCVI revolutionized the field of nursing through her promotion of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program of study. In addition to her success as an educator, Sr. Charles Marie Frank, CCVI dedicated her life to helping others by facilitating multiple nursing mission trips around the world. Each year UIW commemorates her achievements by hosting on-campus lectures for students to attend.

The lecture is free and open to the public. To find out more information on the event, contact Dr. Maureen Rauschhuber at rauschhu@uiwtx.edu.