Category: CurrentNews

In our journey towards better health and well-being, managing chronic pain can often be a significant challenge. Whether it’s stemming from a medical condition, injury, or other factors, chronic pain can greatly impact our daily lives. At Unity Care NW, we understand the complexities of chronic pain management and the risks associated with opioid therapy. That’s why we’re committed to providing you with comprehensive support and information to empower you in your health journey.

Whatcom County Overdose facts

The opioid crisis has deeply impacted communities in Northwest Washington and across the United States. In 2022, Washington state experienced a significant increase in drug overdose deaths, with overdose deaths in Whatcom County surpassing the statewide average. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the crisis by increasing factors like anxiety and social isolation, leading to more drug use and exacerbating the epidemic. Whatcom County Emergency Medical Services receives an average of 3 to 4 overdose calls per day.[1] It is crucial that the public be aware of what opioids are and how to prevent addiction and overdose in themselves and in their loved ones.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      [2]

What is an Opioid?
Natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic chemicals that interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain, and reduce the intensity of pain signals and feelings of pain. This class of drugs includes the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain medications available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, and many others. Prescription opioids are generally safe when taken for a short time and as directed by a doctor, but because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused and can lead to addiction.

Pain Management

Physical pain is a complex sensation that serves as a signal from the body to the brain, indicating injury or potential harm. It can manifest as aches, throbbing, sharp sensations, or discomfort in various parts of the body. While pain is a natural and often necessary response to protect ourselves from further injury, managing physical pain is an important part of promoting overall well-being and maintaining functional abilities. [3]

Pain management can be done in many ways that do not include opioids. Examples include:

• Physical therapy
• Exercise
• Nonopioid medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) including UCNW’s Wellness Skills Group for Chronic Pain
• Certain antidepressant and antiseizure medications

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is pain lasting three months or more.  It can be caused by a disease or condition, injury, medical treatment, inflammation, or even an unknown reason. There are many possible options to treat your chronic pain. You and your doctor should work together to establish treatment goals for pain and function in your daily life. Nonopioids treatments are recommended for first line treatment of most origins of chronic pain. Opioids should be used only when other options fail or conflict with other medical conditions or treatments.

If You Are Prescribed Opioids for Chronic Pain Management

• Follow up with your doctor within the first few days of starting your prescription to ensure opioids are helping. You should also discuss:
  • What kind of pain relief and improvement you can expect overall. Opioids can reduce pain in the short-term but will not likely relieve all your pain.
  • Any side-effects you are experiencing.
• Develop your personal pain management plan with your doctor which may include:
  • Your personal treatment goals, which describe what you may achieve as you make progress.
  • Information about treatment options.
  • Referral to specialists as needed.

Side Effects of Opioid Therapy

Prescription opioids carry serious risks of addiction and overdose. Opioids can slow a person’s breathing, often a sign associated with someone experiencing an opioid overdose that can cause death. The use of prescription opioids can have several side effects as well, even when taken as directed, including:

• Tolerance — you might need to take more of a medication for the same pain relief
• Physical dependence — you have symptoms of withdrawal when a medication is stopped, or you take less
• Increased sensitivity to pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Constipation
• Confusion
• Depression
• Sleepiness and dizziness

How to Spot an Opioid Overdose

Recognizing an opioid overdose can be difficult. If you aren’t sure, it is best to treat the situation like an overdose—you could save a life.

Signs of an overdose may include:

• Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
• Falling asleep or loss of consciousness
• Slow, shallow breathing
• Choking or gurgling sounds
• Limp body
• Pale, blue, or cold skin

Narcan/Naloxone

Carrying and knowing how to use Narcan (also known as Naloxone) can help you save someone from an opioid overdose. Narcan saves lives because it can quickly restore normal breathing to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing on prescription opioid medications, heroin, or drugs that are adulterated and contaminated with an opioid like fentanyl (e.g., cocaine, methamphetamine).

To assist a person with an expected opioid overdose:

1. Call 911.
2. Give Narcan if possible.
3. Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
4. Lay the person on their side to prevent choking.
5. Do not leave the person alone while waiting for help to arrive.
6. Naloxone is a temporary treatment. More than one dose might be needed under some circumstances, especially if an overdose event involves illicitly manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances.[4]

Where to Get Narcan

A prescription is not needed to obtain Narcan. Narcan is covered by many insurances and is available at pharmacies, including Unity Care NW’s in-house pharmacies in Bellingham and Ferndale. Speak to your pharmacist to see if your insurance covers Narcan.

Whatcom County provides Narcan to At-Risk individuals or family members, or involved bystanders of opioid related overdose through the Narcan Leave Behind Program.  Contact Steven Cohen, EMS Training Specialist, at 360-820-6157 or scohen@co.whatcom.wa.us for information on Narcan Kits and training.

You can also request free Narcan to be delivered to your home online through the Washington State Naloxone Mail Order program.

Safe Medication Return at UCNW

If you have unused or expired medications, including opioids, we offer a safe medication return program to ensure they are disposed of properly. Bring any medications you have to drop boxes at our pharmacies in either Bellingham or Ferndale to safely dispose of them. By participating in this program, you’re not only protecting your loved ones from potential harm but also contributing to environmentally responsible practices.

Sources

[1] https://www.whatcomcounty.us/4022/Narcan-Leave-Behind-Program

[2] The Opioid Crisis in Washington’s Second Congressional District and a Comprehensive Solution. January 2024. Rick Larsen. https://larsen.house.gov/uploadedfiles/rick_larsen_district_opioid_report_final.pdf

[3]  https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/patients/therapy-expectations.html

[4]https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/naloxone/factsheets/pdf/Naloxone_FactSheet_Family_and_Caregivers_How_and_When_to_use_Naloxone.pdf

Advocates at the National Association of Community Health Center Policy and Issues Forum. Courtesy of NACHC. Washington D.C., 1977

More than 40 years ago, Unity Care NW began treating people without access to health care and today we are proud to be one of over 1,400 Federally Qualified Health Centers serving nearly 1 in 10 Americans.

Community Health Centers were born out of the fight for civil rights and the war on poverty in the 1960s. These new health care providers empowered local communities through patient-majority governing boards, using a combination of local resources and federal funding. The National Association of Community Health Centers was later founded and played a crucial role in unifying and advocating for accessible, quality health care.

Our state and federal governments make important decisions that impact your care on a regular basis. Unity Care NW monitors legislation and advocates with our elected officials on behalf of your care but we need your help. As a patient, your voice matters! Sign up for our advocacy mailing list and play an active role in shaping healthcare policies. Receive important action alerts and make your self heard by our elected officials. Together, we can create positive change and ensure better healthcare outcomes for all.

Growing up in Hoquiam, Lisa Nelson witnessed firsthand the struggles of her parents to navigate a healthcare system that seemed designed against them. Her mother’s battle with health issues, exacerbated by the lack of affordable care options, left an indelible mark on Lisa’s life.

“I saw my mom suffer unnecessarily because of lack of health care and how that impacted her. She didn’t have an option, she had to work no matter how sick she was,” Lisa recalls.

Driven by this experience, Lisa pursued a career in pharmacy, earning her Doctor of Pharmacy from Washington State University. However, it was her transition into community health that ignited her passion for advocacy and brought her closer to effecting real change in the lives of underserved communities.

“Working in Community Health Centers, we can solve these problems, so people have access regardless of their ability to pay,” Lisa affirms.

As Chief Pharmacy Officer at Unity Care NW, Lisa recognizes the pivotal role that affordable medication plays in ensuring comprehensive healthcare. She became deeply involved in initiatives like the 340B program, which helps low-income and other vulnerable patients access more affordable medicines, leveraging it to bridge the gap between medical care and financial constraints.

“Specifically with the pharmacy and 340B, it’s a mechanism that we at the Community Health Center can utilize to make an impact on affordable medications. Because for many people, maybe they can afford to go to the doctor, but they can’t afford their prescriptions,” Lisa explains.

“With community health centers we can have a pharmacy that, instead of saying no to these patients, can say yes so at the end of the day you walk away with your medication, and you get the health outcomes you deserve,” Lisa says.

Driven by her belief in equity and fairness, Lisa is committed to streamlining processes to ensure that everyone receives the care they need without bureaucratic hurdles.

“I’m such an advocate for treating everyone the same. I want to make a system where everyone can get everything they need and if cost is an issue, we’ll figure that out without you having to fill out 14 pages of forms,” Lisa asserts.

This advocacy extends beyond the walls of Unity Care NW. As a nationally recognized expert on 340B, Lisa works with colleagues and law makers across the country to fight for fair drug pricing. She remains actively involved in various organizations, serving in leadership roles on committees and councils, engaging law makers, strategizing with other community health centers, and drafting model legislation aimed at advancing pharmacy practices and healthcare policies.

Lisa’s tireless efforts and dedication have not gone unnoticed. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) recently honored her with the Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award during their 2024 Policy and Issues Forum in Washington, D.C. This prestigious award recognizes Lisa’s exceptional advocacy work and her unwavering commitment to expanding access to affordable healthcare.

Lisa Nelson’s journey from witnessing her mother’s struggles to becoming a stalwart advocate for healthcare equity exemplifies the transformative power of personal experience and unwavering dedication. Her story is echoed across the experiences of many health care advocates in the community health center movement across America. As she continues to champion accessible healthcare, her impact reverberates far beyond the confines of Washington State, resonating with communities across the nation in their pursuit of health and well-being for all.

Unity Care NW (UCNW) is proud to announce that it has earned the Gold ACE status from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). This is the highest level of recognition in the NACHC Advocacy Center of Excellence (ACE) Program, which supports and recognizes health centers that achieve specific measures of advocacy success and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to advocacy by making it an organizational priority.

UCNW is one of only three health centers in Washington to have achieved Gold ACE status. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and leadership, who are committed to advocating for health equity and access to care for the patients we serve.

The ACE Program measures advocacy success in four areas:

• Policy impact: The extent to which health centers have influenced policy changes that improve access to care for their patients.
• Public awareness: The extent to which health centers have raised awareness of the importance of community health centers and the challenges they face.
• Workforce development: The extent to which health centers have trained and supported staff to engage in advocacy.
• Organizational capacity: The extent to which health centers have the infrastructure and resources to support advocacy efforts.

We are grateful to NACHC for this recognition of our advocacy efforts. We will continue to work hard to advocate for health equity and access to care for the patients we serve.

Quote from NACHC

“Earning Gold ACE status requires serious dedication and prioritization of advocacy at your health center. Your organization is now part of an elite group that serves as an example to other Community Health Centers striving to achieve advocacy excellence. The amount of effort and time needed to achieve this requires hardworking, engaged staff and supportive leadership—two pieces of the puzzle necessary for a successful and robust advocacy program—both of which you have demonstrated.”

How You Can Help

You can help UCNW continue its advocacy work by:

• Contacting your elected officials and urging them to support policies that improve access to care for low-income families.
• Donating to UCNW to support its advocacy work.
• Signing up to advocate for health centers.

Thank you for your support!

From gas lights to wind power projects, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has a rich history and deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to providing services to over 2 million residents in 10 counties, they are committed to partnering with local groups to create stronger more equitable communities for all.

Recently PSE provided a brand-new electric school bus to the Opportunity Council’s East Whatcom Regional Resource Center (EWRRC) for their East Whatcom County Mt. Baker Head Start program. The acquisition of this electric bus is part of PSE’s Up & Go Electric pilot program focused on equity in transportation electrification, one of PSE and the PSE Foundation’s many grants programs.

This bus, which PSE purchased from Blue Bird, comes with a dual-port level 2 charging station that PSE installed on the resource center property. The charging station will power the electric bus while the extra charging port will be available for other invited guests of the resource center.

PSE is working to advance the equitable adoption of transportation electrification in our region, and partnerships with community-based organizations enable them to build a robust EV network. They want to ensure that everyone, regardless of income and geographic location, can access the benefits of electric mobility.

PSE’s commitment to equitable access extends to a variety of projects and programs throughout the ten counties they serve. They are one of Unity Care NW’s Health Care Champion Sponsors, supporting our work to ensure everyone in our community has access to high-quality care even if they can’t afford it. Thank you, PSE, for your support and your efforts in so many communities across the Pacific Northwest.

Outreach & Enrollment is now located on the first floor at our offices in 1616 Cornwall Avenue in Suite 107.

We’re all still in a pandemic recovery period and getting our lives back on schedule can be chaotic, from preventative healthcare to regular haircuts and beyond. For those with the next generation’s health in their hands, pediatric immunizations are especially important. Lately, many children have fallen behind on their vaccine schedules. Elisabeth Gehringer, D.O. and Associate Medical Director at Unity Care NW, recently sat down with WhatcomTalk to help encourage parents get back into the groove of their kids’ healthcare.

Why We Are Behind

“I’ve been seeing a pattern that kids have been falling behind on immunizations — the main challenge was related to the pandemic due to delay in care, and the result of those challenges was falling behind on their vaccine schedules,” says Dr. Gehringer. “Vaccines are a really important part of the well child check-ups that we have built into our visits.” Read the full article.