Publications

Nabila El-Bassel, Rebecca D. Jackson, Jeffery Samet, and Sharon L. Walsh

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108327

Abstract

The severity of the overdose epidemic underscores the urgent need for innovative and high impact interventions that promote the rapid penetration and scale up of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in communities profoundly affected by fatal opioid overdose. This special issue shares scientific advancements in implementation research design and evaluation of a novel data-driven community-based intervention. The HEALing (Helping End Addiction Long-Term) Communities Study (HCS) is a four-year study that is designed to examine the effectiveness of the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention. The CTH intervention supports the dissemination of EBPs in 67 communities across four high-burdened states—Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. The diversity in these communities in terms of rural-urban status, race-ethnicity and other social determinants of health facilitates generalizability of results to other communities across the US.

The nine papers in this special issue describe critical elements that constitute the HCS framework and design. This includes the implementation of EBPs that have a substantial impact on fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose, the Opioid-overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach, communication campaigns to increase awareness and demand for EBPs and reduce stigma against people with OUD and MOUD interventions, and the process of community engagement. This includes how to form community coalitions and gain their commitment, and steps taken to mobilize coalitions to pursue EBP implementation and ensure EBPs are adapted for community needs.

The collective papers in this issue demonstrate that the design of any complex study must adapt to unanticipated temporal events, including the rapidly emerging COVID-19 crisis. Readers will learn about the scientific process of the design and implementation of a community-engaged intervention, its methodologies, guiding conceptual models, and research implementation strategies that can be applied to address other health issues.

Redonna K. Chandler, Jennifer VIllani, Thomas Clarke, Elinore F. McCance-Katz, and Nora D. Volkow

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108329

Abstract

The United States is facing two devastating public health crises– the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this context, one of the most ambitious implementation studies in addiction research is moving forward. Launched in May 2019, the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) was developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as part of the Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative (National Institutes of Health, 2020). The goal for this research was to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 40 % in three years by enhancing and integrating the delivery of multiple evidence-based practices (EBPs) with proven effectiveness in reducing opioid overdose deaths across health care, justice, and community settings. This paper describes the initial vision, goals, and objectives of this initiative; the impact of COVID-19; and the potential for knowledge to be generated from HCS at the intersection of an unrelenting epidemic of opioid misuse and overdoses and the ravishing COVID-19 pandemic.

The HEALing Communities Study Consortium

University of Kentucky Contributing Authors: Sharon L. Walsh, Heather M. Bush, Joshua L. Bush, Laura C. Fanucchi, Donald W. Helme, Hannah K. Knudsen, Nicky Lewis, Michelle R. Lofwall, Katherine R. Marks, Jennifer Miles, Carrie B. Oser, Patricia R. Freeman, Svetla Slavova, Drew Speer, Michele Staton, Danelle J. Stevens-Watkins, Hilary L. Surratt, Jeffery C. Talbert, Katherine L. Thompson, Philip M. Westgate, April M. Young

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108335

Background

Opioid overdose deaths remain high in the U.S. Despite having effective interventions to prevent overdose deaths, there are numerous barriers that impede their adoption. The primary aim of the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) is to determine the impact of an intervention consisting of community-engaged, data-driven selection, and implementation of an integrated set of evidence-based practices (EBPs) on reducing opioid overdose deaths.

Methods

The HCS is a four year multi-site, parallel-group, cluster randomized wait-list controlled trial. Communities (n = 67) in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio are randomized to active intervention (Wave 1), which starts the intervention in Year 1 or the wait-list control (Wave 2), which starts the intervention in Year 3. The HCS will test a conceptually driven framework to assist communities in selecting and adopting EBPs with three components: 1) a community engagement strategy with local coalitions to guide and implement the intervention; 2) a compendium of EBPs coupled with technical assistance; and 3) a series of communication campaigns to increase awareness and demand for EBPs and reduce stigma. An implementation science framework guides the intervention and allows for examination of the multilevel contexts that promote or impede adoption and expansion of EBPs. The primary outcome, number of opioid overdose deaths, will be compared between Wave 1 and Wave 2 communities during Year 2 of the intervention for Wave 1. Numerous secondary outcomes will be examined.

Discussion

The HCS is the largest community-based implementation study in the field of addiction with an ambitious goal of significantly reducing fatal opioid overdoses.

Linda Sprague Martinez, Bruce D. Rapkin, April Young, Bridget Freisthler, LaShawn Glasgow, Tim Hunt, Pamela J. Salsberry, Emmanuel A. Oga, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Tracy J. Plouck, Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Patricia R. Freeman, Hilary Surratt, Jennifer Gulley, Greer A. Hamilton, Paul Bowman, Carter A. Roeber, Nabila El-Bassel, and Tracy Battaglia

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108326

Background

The implementation of evidence-based practices to reduce opioid overdose deaths within communities remains suboptimal. Community engagement can improve the uptake and sustainability of evidence-based practices. The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) aims to reduce opioid overdose deaths through the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention, a community-engaged, data-driven planning process that will be implemented in 67 communities across four states.

Methods

An iterative process was used in the development of the community engagement component of the CTH. The resulting community engagement process uses phased planning steeped in the principles of community based participatory research. Phases include: 0) Preparation, 1) Getting Started, 2) Getting Organized, 3) Community Profiles and Data Dashboards, 4) Community Action Planning, 5) Implementation and Monitoring, and 6) Sustainability Planning.

Theresa Winhusen, Alexander Walley, Laura C. Fanucchi, Tim Hunt, Mike Lyons, Michelle Lofwall, Jennifer L. Brown, Patricia R. Freeman, Edward Nunes, Donna Beets, Richard Saitz, Leyla Stambaugh, Emmanuel A. Oga, Nicole Herron, Trevor Baker, Christopher D. Cook, Monica F. Roberts, Daniel P. Alford, Joanna L. Starrels, and Redonna K. Chandler

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108325

Background

The number of opioid-involved overdose deaths in the United States remains a national crisis. The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) will test whether Communities That HEAL (CTH), a community-engaged intervention, can decrease opioid-involved deaths in intervention communities (n = 33), relative to wait-list communities (n = 34), from four states. The CTH intervention seeks to facilitate widespread implementation of three evidence-based practices (EBPs) with the potential to reduce opioid-involved overdose fatalities: overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND), effective delivery of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and safer opioid analgesic prescribing. A key challenge was delineating an EBP implementation approach useful for all HCS communities.

Methods

A workgroup composed of EBP experts from HCS research sites used literature reviews and expert consensus to: 1) compile strategies and associated resources for implementing EBPs primarily targeting individuals 18 and older; and 2) determine allowable community flexibility in EBP implementation. The workgroup developed the Opioid-overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA) to organize EBP strategies and resources to facilitate EBP implementation.

R. Craig Lefebvre, Redonna K. Chandler, Donald W. Helme, Robin Kerner, Sarah Mann, Michael D. Stein, Jennifer Reynolds, Michael D. Slater, Amrachi R. Anakaraonye, Dacia Beard, Olivia Burrus, Jenna Frkovich, Haley Hedrick, Nicky Lewis, and Emma Rodgers

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108338

Background

The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) is testing whether the Communities that Heal (CTH) intervention can decrease opioid overdose deaths through the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in highly impacted communities. One of the CTH intervention components is a series of communications campaigns to promote the implementation of EBPs, increase demand for naloxone and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and decrease stigma toward people with opioid use disorder and the use of EBPs, especially MOUD. This paper describes the approach to developing and executing these campaigns.

Hannah K. Knudsen, Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Louisa Gilbert, Timothy R. Huerta, Carrie B. Oser, Alison M. Aldrich, Aimee N.C. Campbell, Erika L. Crable, Bryan R. Garner, LaShawn M. Glasgow, Dawn Goddard-Eckrich, Katherine R. Marks, Ann Scheck McAlearney, Emmanuel A. Oga, Airel L. Scalise, and Daniel M. Walker

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108330

Background

In response to the U.S. opioid epidemic, the HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM) Communities Study (HCS) is a multisite, wait-listed, community-level cluster-randomized trial that aims to test the novel Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention, in 67 communities. CTH will expand an integrated set of evidence-based practices (EBPs) across health care, behavioral health, justice, and other community-based settings to reduce opioid overdose deaths. We present the rationale for and adaptation of the RE-AIM/PRISM framework and methodological approach used to capture the CTH implementation context and to evaluate implementation fidelity.

Elwin Wu, Jennifer Villani, Alissa Davis, Naleef Fareed, Daniel R. Harris, Timothy R. Huerta, Marc R. LaRochelle, Cortney C. Miller, and Emmanuel A. Oga

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108331

Background

With opioid misuse, opioid use disorder (OUD), and opioid overdose deaths persisting at epidemic levels in the U.S., the largest implementation study in addiction research—the HEALing Communities Study (HCS)—is evaluating the impact of the Communities That Heal (CTH) intervention on reducing opioid overdose deaths in 67 disproportionately affected communities from four states (i.e., “sites”). Community-tailored dashboards are central to the CTH intervention’s mandate to implement a community-engaged and data-driven process. These dashboards support a participating community’s decision-making for selection and monitoring of evidence-based practices to reduce opioid overdose deaths.

Svetla Slavova, Marc R. LaRochelle, Elisabeth D. Root, Daniel J. Feaster, Jennifer Villani, Charles E. Knott, Jeffery Talbert, Aimee Mack, Dushka Crane, Dana Bernson, Austin Booth, and Sharon L. Walsh

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108328

Background

The Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM (HEALing) Communities Study (HCS) is a multisite, parallel-group, cluster randomized wait-list controlled trial evaluating the impact of the Communities That HEAL intervention to reduce opioid overdose deaths and associated adverse outcomes. This paper presents the approach used to define and align administrative data across the four research sites to measure key study outcomes.

Arnie P. Aldridge, Carolina Barbosa, Joshua A. Barocas, Joshua L. Bush, Jagpreet Chhatwal, Kristin J. Harlow, Ayaz Hyder, Benjamin P. Linas, Kathryn E. McCollister, Jake R. Morgan, Sean M. Murphy, Caroline Savitzky, Bruce R. Schackman, Eric E. Seiber, Laura E. Starbird, Jennifer Villani, and Gary A. Zarkin

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published December 2020 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108336

Background

The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) is designed to implement and evaluate the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention, a conceptually driven framework to assist communities in selecting and adopting evidence-based practices to reduce opioid overdose deaths. The goal of the HCS is to produce generalizable information for policy makers and community stakeholders seeking to implement CTH or a similar community intervention. To support this objective, one aim of the HCS is a health economics study (HES), the results of which will inform decisions around fiscal feasibility and sustainability relevant to other community settings.

Scott T. Walters, Redonna K. Chandler, Thomas Clarke, Nabila El-Bassel, Lashawn M. Glasgow, Rebecca D. Jackson, Emmanuel A. Oga, Jeffrey H. Samet, Sharon L. Walsh, and Gary A. Zarkin

Drug Alcohol Dependence

Published May 2021 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108669

Hannah K Knudsen, Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Louisa Gilbert, Timothy R Huerta, Carrie B Oser, Alison M Aldrich, Aimee NC Campbell, Erika L Crable, Bryan R Garner, LaShawn M Glasgow, Dawn Goddard-Eckrich, Katherine R Marks, Ann Scheck McAlearney, Emmanuel A Oga, Ariel L Scalise, Daniel M Walker

Drug Alcohol Dependence

Published May 2021 (Open Access) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8445314/ 

HEALing Communities Study Consortium

New England Journal of Medicine

Published September 2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11761538/ 

Abstract

In this community-level, cluster-randomized trial, we randomly assigned 67 communities in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio to receive the intervention (34 communities) or a wait-list control (33 communities), stratified according to state. The trial was conducted within the context of both the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and a national surge in the number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths. The trial groups were balanced within states according to urban or rural classification, previous overdose rate, and community population. The primary outcome was the number of opioid-related overdose deaths among community adults.

Brown JL, Larochelle MR, Fanucchi LC, Calvert DC, Campbell ANC, Chandler RK, Feaster DJ, Glasgow LM, Gibson EB, Holloway J, Lofwall MR, Mack A, Mack N, Nunes EV, Talbert JC, Tan S, Vandergrift N, Villani J, Asman K, Babakhanlou-Chase H, Bagley SM, Battaglia TA, Blevins D, Bridden C, Cheng DM, Christopher M, Cogan LW, Cunningham CO, Eggleston B, Fareed N, Fernandez S, Freedman DA, Freiermuth CE, Freisthler B, Gilbert L, Hammerslag L, Harris D, Hunt T, Hussain S, Huynh P, Jackson RD, Kauffman EB, Knott C, Knudsen HK, Lefebvre RC, Levin FR, Massatti R, McAlearney AS, Morgan JR, Lopez RM, Lounsbury DW, Newman L, Nickels K, Oga EA, Oller DA, Parran TV, Quinn M, Ramsey KS, Rapkin BD, Salsberry P, Stein M, Taylor JL, Teater J, Walters ST, Zarkin GA, El-Bassel N, Winhusen TJ, Samet JH, Walsh SL.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published September 1, 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12302724/ 

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) can reduce opioid use and overdose deaths. This study examined whether the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention increased MOUD initiation, retention, and linkage. Using Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Medicaid claims data, we compared mean community-level rates of MOUD outcomes during the 1-year comparison period (July 2021-June 2022) for: (a) MOUD receipt at least once; (b) continuous MOUD receipt for 180 days; and (c) MOUD linkage within 31 days following an opioid-related emergency department or hospital encounter. Compared to control communities, communities that received the CTH intervention did not demonstrate higher rates of MOUD use, retention, or linkage. Additional efforts are needed to improve uptake and sustained use of MOUD.

Levin FR, Oyler DR, Babineau DC, Villani J, Chandler RK, Freeman PR, Alford DP, Fareed N, Mack N, Nguyen TQ, Walker DM, Adams J, Baker TJ, Beers D, Benjamin SN, Bhuiyan J, Blevins D, David JL, Dalvi N, D'Costa L, Feaster DJ, Glasgow L, Goddard-Eckrich DA, Han Y, Harris M, Hunt T, Knott C, Matson A, Mierzwa F, Newman L, Nunes EV, Oga EA, Roberts MF, Shadwick A, Shoben A, Slavova S, Stinson L, Zarkin GA, Freisthler B, Samet JH, Walsh SL, Winhusen TJ, Jackson RD, El-Bassel N.

AJPM Focus

Published May 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12480870/ 

Prescription opioids can contribute to risk for opioid use disorder and overdoses. Improving prescription opioid safety is a critical component in reducing opioid risks. This report aims to determine whether communities randomized to the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention have significantly different rates of prescription opioid safety measures.The main outcome was the number of adults with new incident high-risk opioid prescribing episodes after at least a 45-day washout. Other outcomes included the number of opioid-naïve adults with new opioid prescriptions limited to a 7-day supply, number of adults who received opioid prescriptions from multiple prescribers or pharmacies, and number of locations providing drug take-back services. Outcomes were assessed from July 2021 to June 2022.

Stopka TJ, Babineau DC, Gibson EB, Knott CE, Cheng DM, Villani J, Wai JM, Blevins D, David JL, Goddard-Eckrich DA, Lofwall MR, Massatti R, DeFiore-Hyrmer J, Lyons MS, Fanucchi LC, Harris DR, Talbert J, Hammerslag L, Oller D, Balise RR, Feaster DJ, Soares W, Zarkin GA, Glasgow L, Oga E, McCarthy J, D'Costa L, Chahine R, Gomori S, Dalvi N, Shrestha S, Garner C, Shadwick A, Salsberry P, Konstan MW, Freisthler B, Winhusen J, El-Bassel N, Samet JH, Walsh SL

JAMA Network Open

Published February 2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10884876/ 

Buprenorphine significantly reduces opioid-related overdose mortality. From 2002 to 2022, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) required qualified practitioners to receive a waiver from the Drug Enforcement Agency to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. During this period, waiver uptake among practitioners was modest; subsequent changes need to be examined.

Hannah K Knudsen, Michael Goetz, Shaquita Andrews-Higgins, Sandra Back-Haddix, Olivia A Davis, Patricia R Freeman, Douglas R Oyler, Sharon L Walsh

Implementation Research Practice

Published March 2026 (Open Access) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13039641/

Introduction

The opioid epidemic is a serious public health crisis. Teaching people how to recognize and reverse an opioid overdose using naloxone—a medication that reverses potentially fatal opioid effects—can save lives. In Kentucky, as part of the HEALing Communities Study, access to overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) was expanded in eight counties using a “hub with many spokes” model. This approach connected a central resource hub to community organizations to ensure wide distribution of overdose education and naloxone. This study describes how partner agencies viewed the strategies used to expand OEND.

Hannah K Knudsen, Shaquita Andrews-Higgins, Sandra Back-Haddix, Michelle R Lofwall, Laura Fanucchi, Sharon L Walsh 

Published April 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11963284/ 

Underutilization of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) remains a persistent obstacle to addressing the opioid epidemic. This study explores MOUD agency experiences with patient census growth as well as multi-level barriers and facilitators to expanding MOUD from the perspectives of agency staff.  Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 66 employees representing 30 MOUD agencies in eight Kentucky counties in the United States from December 2022 to June 2023 as part of the HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-term®) Communities Study in Kentucky (HCS-KY). Interviews were conducted prior to the development of partnerships to implement strategies focused on expanding MOUD census and increasing MOUD retention. Facility administrators/directors, prescribers, and clinicians were prioritized for recruitment, but agencies could identify other staff to participate. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. A consensus-based approach to coding and thematic analysis was used.

McGladrey M, Booty M, Stitzer S, Knudsen HK, Walsh SL, Goetz M, Mattingly H, Lofwall M, Fanucchi L, Oller D, Fallin-Bennett A, Oser CB

Health Justice

Published March 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11956208/ 

This study uses the Practical, Robust, Implementation, and Sustainability Model (PRISM) and Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) model to describe how features of jail contexts are associated with the number of people linked to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and sustainment of jail linkage programs implemented in Wave 1 of the HEALing Communities Study in Kentucky (HCS-KY) from 2021 to 22. One strategy involved implementation of MOUD linkage programs within five Kentucky county jails. Minutes from program planning and maintenance meetings led by HCS-KY implementation facilitators with linkage staff/supervisors and jail liaisons/partners (average of five participants/meeting) were coded following PRISM-RE-AIM using template analysis to understand variations in participation across sites as well as barriers to and facilitators of MOUD linkage implementation.

Knudsen HK, Back-Haddix S, Andrews-Higgins S, Goetz M, Davis OA, Oyler DR, Walsh SL, Freeman PR

Addiction Science & Clinical Practice

Published March 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11907800/ 

Efforts to scale up overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND), an evidence-based practice for reducing opioid overdose mortality, was a major focus of the HEALing Communities Study (HCS). The aim of this analysis is to describe the qualitative perspectives of partner organizations regarding the impacts of implementing OEND in a state that used a naloxone “hub with many spokes” model for scaling up this strategy.

Dustin K Miracle, Laura Stinson, Monica F Roberts, Douglas R Oyler, Adrienne Matson, Hannah K Knudsen, Sharon L Walsh, Patricia R Freeman

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published January 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12617826/ 

Availability of medication disposal receptacles is critical to curbing nonmedical opioid use and diversion; however, availability in community pharmacies is sparse. The objective of this study was to describe implementation of the community pharmacy medication disposal program offered by the HEALing Communities Study in Kentucky (HCS-KY) using the EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment) framework.

Carrie B Oser, Margaret McGladrey, Douglas R Oyler, Hannah K Knudsen, Sharon L Walsh, Susannah Stitzer, Michael Goetz, Marisa Booty, Erica Hargis, Sarah Johnson, Michele Staton, Patricia R Freeman

Journal of Substance Use Addiction Treatment

Published December 2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11885019/ 

This study uses the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) model to retrospectively describe the mail-based overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) program developed in collaboration with the Kentucky Department of Corrections (DOC) for use in the HEALing Communities Study in Kentucky (HCS-KY) and details the reach of this innovative delivery model.

Carrie B Oser, Margaret McGladrey, Marisa Booty, Hilary Surratt, Hannah K Knudsen, Patricia R Freeman, Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Monica F Roberts, Michele Staton, April Young, Emma Draper, Sharon L Walsh 

Health Justice

Published June 2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11212218/ 

People incarcerated in jails are highly impacted by the opioid epidemic, and overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) is an effective strategy to reduce opioid overdose deaths. This study examines barriers and facilitators of fast-track OEND implementation within the jails in the Wave 1 Kentucky counties of the HEALing Communities Study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Margaret McGladrey, Jordan Kelsch, Michelle R Lofwall, Laura C Fanucchi, Sharon L Walsh, Carrie B Oser

Journal of Correctional Health Care

Published February 2024 https://doi.org/10.1089/jchc.23.08.0065

Trevor Moffitt, Amanda Fallin-Bennet, Laura Fanucchi, Sharon L. Walsh, Christopher Cook, Devin Oller, Anna Ross, Molly Gallivan, John Lauckner, Jeremy Byard, Phoebe Wheeler-Crum, and Michelle R. Lofwall

Frontiers in Public Health

Published February 2024 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1334850

Introduction: Medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) decreases opioid overdose risk and is the standard of care for persons with opioid use disorder (OUD). Recovery coach (RC)-led programs and associated training curricula to improve outcomes around MOUD are limited. We describe our comprehensive training curriculum including instruction and pedagogy for novel RC-led MOUD linkage and retention programs and report on its feasibility.

Douglas R. Oyler, Hannah K. Knudsen, Carrie B. Oser, Sharon L. Walsh, Monica Roberts, Shawn R. Nigam, Philip M. Westgate, and Patricia R. Freeman

Drug & Alcohol Dependence Reports 

Published March 2024 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2023.100207 

Background

Opioid overdoses differentially affect demographic groups. Strategies to reduce overdose deaths, specifically overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND), are not consistently delivered equitably.

Results

A total of 26,273 demographic records were analyzed from 137 partner agencies. Most agencies were in behavioral health (85.6 %) or criminal justice sectors (10.4 %). About half of OEND recipients were male (50.6 %), which was significantly lower than the 70.3 % of overdose decedents who were male, (p<0.001). OEND recipients tended to be younger than overdose decedents, but there were not significant differences in race/ethnicity between OEND recipients and overdose decedents. Over 40 % of OEND recipients had overdosed, and 68.9 % had witnessed a prior overdose. There were notable differences across facility types, as males and Black individuals accounted for fewer OEND recipients in addiction treatment facilities compared to jails.

Peter Rock, Svetla Slavova, Philip M. Westgate, Aisaku Nakamura, and Sharon L. Walsh

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published February 2024 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111062

Background

Fatal overdoses involving fentanyl/fentanyl analogs (F/FA) have increased in the US, raising questions about naloxone doses for F/FA overdose reversal. Emergency medical services (EMS) data provide an opportunity to examine naloxone administration changes as fentanyl increases in the illicit opioid supply.

Hannah K. Knudsen, Patricia R. Freeman, Douglas R. Oyler, Carrie B. Oser, and Sharon L. Walsh

Addiction Science & Clinical Practice

Published November 2023 (Open Access) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10688494/ 

Background

Scaling up overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND), an evidence-based practice for reducing opioid overdose mortality, in communities remains a challenge. Novel models and intentional implementation strategies are needed. Drawing upon the EPIS model’s phases of Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (Aarons et al. in Adm Policy Ment Health 38:4–23, 2011), this paper describes the development of the University of Kentucky’s unique centralized “Naloxone Hub with Many Spokes” approach to implementing OEND as part of the HEALing Communities Study (HCS-KY).

Dustin K. Miracle, Noah Smith, Svetla Slavova, Laura K. Stinson, Monica F. Roberts, Peter Rock, Sharon L. Walsh, and Patricia R. Freeman

The Journal of Rural Health

Published July 2023  https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12786

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to describe the county-level availability of drug disposal receptacles in Kentucky community pharmacies and show the relationship between installed receptacles and opioid analgesic (OA)/controlled substance dispensing rates, stratifying where possible by urban-rural classification.

Katherine Thompson, Joshua A. Barocas, Chris Delcher, Jungjun Bae, Lindsey Hammerslag, Jianing Wang, Redonna Chandler, Jennifer Villani, Sharon Walsh, and Jeffery Talbert

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published January 2023 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109710

Background

Kentucky has one of the highest opioid overdose mortality rates in the United States. Accurate estimates of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) are critical to plan for the scope of interventions required to reduce overdose and opioid misuse. Commonly used household surveys are known to underestimate OUD at the state-level and do not provide county-level estimates.

Svetla Slavova, Patricia R. Freeman, Peter Rock, Candace Brancato, Sarah Hargrove, Madison Liford, Dana Quisenberry, and Sharon L. Walsh

Public Health Reports

Published February 2022 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549221074390

Objectives:

Increased drug overdose mortality among non-Hispanic Black people in the United States in the past 5 years highlights the need for better tailored programs and services. We evaluated (1) changes in drug overdose mortality for various racial and ethnic groups and (2) drug involvement to inform drug overdose prevention efforts in Kentucky.

Svetla Slavova, Dana Quesinberry, Sarah Hargrove, Peter Rock, Candace Brancato, Patricia R. Freeman, and Sharon L. Walsh

JAMA Network Open

Published July 2021 (Open Access) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8278264/ 

Introduction

In April 2020, early signals from emergency medical services data raised concerns for increasing numbers of drug overdoses during the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky.1 Subsequently, provisional national data for the 12-month period ending May 2020 showed accelerated drug overdose deaths, resulting in a Health Alert Network Advisory calling for expanded prevention efforts.2 This cross-sectional study evaluates the changes in drug overdose mortality rates for Kentucky residents between 2019 and 2020.

Drew D Speer, Joshua L Bush, Don Lochana Ekanayake, Julie Nakayima, Michael M Goetz, Jennifer Miles, Elizabeth Larimore, Hannah K Knudsen, Sharon L Walsh, Kathryn E McCollister

Research Square

Published November 2025 https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-7999770/v1 

As part of the evidence-based practices (EBPs) implemented throughout the HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-term^®) Communities Study (HCS), strategies to reduce transportation barriers to receiving methadone and buprenorphine at partner organizations were identified and implemented. Multiple strategies were employed including transportation agency contracts, bus passes, rideshare services, leased agency vans, and fuel cards. This study provides a description of the number of unique riders, including demographic and geographic characteristics and the costs of providing these transportation services across participating counties.

Walker DM, Aldrich AM, Chen S, Jadovich E, Goetz M, Andrews-Higgins S, Walley AY, Knudsen HK, Huerta TR, Hunt T, Drainoni ML

Implementation Science Communications

Published April 2026 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43058-026-00952-9 

Community coalitions are a common implementation strategy for addressing public health challenges, such as the opioid epidemic. There remains a lack of understanding of the factors that support implementation effectiveness for community coalitions. This study leverages the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) which tested the Communities That HEAL (CTH) approach to supporting community coalitions to increase delivery of opioid overdose and naloxone distribution (OEND) and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) through facilitation, data-driven decision making, and a communications campaign.

Elwin Wu, Raymond Balise, Benjamin Katz, Daniel Harris, Matthew Bullard, Naleef Fareed, Marc Larochelle, Jennifer Villani

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance

Published April 2026 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13065236/  

Public health data dashboards have substantial potential to improve transparency, understanding, and decision-making at multiple levels, from individuals to public health practitioners and policymakers. However, creating effective dashboards presents many challenges. In this case-based tutorial on public health dashboard development, we share lessons learned from our experience developing data dashboards for the HEALing Communities Study. We present key decision points dashboard teams must address, along with the major considerations and trade-offs that shaped our approach. 

Nicky Lewis, Jennifer Reynolds, Diane Krause, Philip M Reeves, Jamie Luster, Michael D Stein, Sharon L Walsh, Amy Farmer, Michelle R Lofwall, Monica F Roberts, Hilary L Surratt, Brooke N Crockett, Kara Stephens, Kelli Bursey, Kristin Mattson, Michael D Slater

Journal of Medical Internet Research

Published April 2026 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13043076/

Understanding performance outcomes is essential for the successful implementation of campaigns. Two studies examined platforms, tactics, and content of digital health campaigns using paid media performance data. This analysis compared 2 digital advertising methods (social media and banner or display) using click-through rate (CTR) and cost-per-click (CPC) as performance measures. Performance differences by state, community type, message approach, format, and image type were assessed. CTR and CPC served as measures in determining performance differences between social media and banner or display.

Bridget Freisthler, Daniel J Feaster, Charles Knott, Marc LaRochelle, John McCarthy, Svetla Slavova, Sharon L Walsh, Jennifer Villani

Journal of Substance Use Addiction Treatment

Published February 2026 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41207386/ 

Efforts to reduce opioid overdose deaths in the United States have been stymied by the lack of timely and standardized population-level data for local, state, and national levels. The U.S. has a strong national need for linking opioid and other drug overdose surveillance data to service utilization data for overdose prevention and treatment to inform resource allocation and response planning. We provide insight on the challenges of identifying, obtaining, and harmonizing administrative outcome data across four states using the collective experience from the HEALing Communities Study to test a community-engaged, data-driven, population-level intervention to reduce opioid overdose deaths. We also discuss the opportunities that arose from those challenges, as well as the relationships across state agencies that were strengthened.

Balvanz P, Harris D, Olvera R, Sabounchi N, Bridden C, Carpenter J, Damato-MacPherson C, David J, Fareed N, Gibson E, Huerta T, Hunt T, Kosakowski S, Larochelle M, Lewis N, Lounsbury D, Plagens C, Smeltzer R, Villani J, Wu E, Chase R.

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 

Published January/February 2026 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41260589/ 

Public health data and tools have proliferated, yet practical guidance for community-engaged data-driven decision making is limited. HCS researchers implemented the Communities That HEAL intervention, a phased approach which included a coalition-engaged, data-driven approach to selection of evidence-based practice strategies to reduce fatal opioid overdoses. Core steps to the data-driven approach included data selection, access, display, and engagement. Staff selected metrics that aligned with study goals, accessed data from numerous sources, created visualizations, and engaged coalition members to assess resource gaps and intervention opportunities. At the intervention conclusion, all 4 sites' staff collectively workshopped best practices and barriers encountered to data-driven decision making. This article explains the data-driven decision-making approach implemented, assessment results, alterations for subsequent implementation, and guidance for future implementations.

Ramona G Olvera, Peter Balvanz, Owusua Yamoah, Kesla Klingler, Marisa D Booty, Sylvia A Ellison, Amy Farmer, Amy K Kuntz, Hilary L Surratt, Carrie B Oser, Margaret L McGladrey

Health Promotion Practice

Published January 2026 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15248399251411295 

This study evaluates audience and Photovoice participants’ experiences of dissemination events presenting the results of 21 Photovoice projects that supplemented the HEALing Communities Study. The Photovoice projects captured the perspectives of people with lived experience of substance use disorder and front-line providers regarding their communities’ responses to the opioid epidemic. This article describes the multiple artifact types and dissemination formats co-created by HEALing Communities Study researchers and Photovoice project participants to share photographs, captions, and insights. Findings from the study suggest Photovoice dissemination events may encourage attendees to engage more deeply in public health topics such as the opioid addiction crisis, which supports the critical consciousness model for assessing community health change initiatives.

Chatterjee A, Chase RP, Chahine RA, Davis J, Dsouza N, Ellison S, Bagley SM, Fisher T, Glasgow L, Harris MTH, Huang TT, Holloway J, Lounsbury DW, Oga E, Asman K, Roberts SM, Sabounchi N, Surratt HL, Lines LM, Stadler HW, Taylor JL, Davis A

Journal of Substance Use Addiction Treatment

Published January 2026 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41175975/ 

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) tailored to reduce opioid-related fatalities among minoritized populations may help reduce inequities, but research elucidating the relationship between local-level inequities in social determinants of health (SDH) and selection and implementation of tailored EBPs needs further exploration. Community coalitions selected and partner organizations implemented EBP strategies to increase access to Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). The research team utilized negative binomial and zero-inflated Poisson models to assess whether the relationship between (a) communities' need for tailored OEND and MOUD strategies, as indicated by opioid overdose death rates among minoritized groups; and (b) the selection, implementation, and reach of those strategies was moderated by local-level inequities in SDH, quantified by the Local Social Inequity in Drug Overdoses (LSI-DO) index. The analysis included data from 33 communities across four states.

Luster J, Reynolds J, Chahine R, Lewis N, Stein MD, Lefebvre RC, D'Costa L, Asman K, Stephens K, Dsouza N, Slater MD

American Journal of Health Promotion

Published November 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12834332/ 

Understanding reactions to health communication campaigns is essential to designing effective messaging. Multi-year campaigns through the Helping End Addiction Long-term^® (HEALing) Communities Study (HCS) were implemented from April 2020 – June 2022. Responses to HCS campaign messages and statewide campaign messages were evaluated.

Hall ME, Glasgow L, Holloway J, Chahine RA, Davis J, Harris MTH, Knudsen HK, Neufeld JL, Oga E, Lounsbury DW, Sabounchi N, Davis A, Smith M, Chase RP, Ellison SA, Harness J, Surratt HL, Walsh SL, Nakayima PJ, Chandler R

Substance Use Misuse

Published September 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12466881/ 

Despite recent declines, the U.S. opioid overdose crisis persists. The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) aimed to reduce opioid overdose deaths through community-level adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs), including overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). This paper describes the reach of OEND and MOUD strategies implemented by the 33 HCS wait-list control communities. We conducted descriptive statistical analysis of reach data collected from July 2022 through December 2023 to (1) summarize overall EBP implementation and reach and (2) compare the demographic representation of individuals reached to community demographic population estimates.

Brown JL, Larochelle MR, Fanucchi LC, Calvert DC, Campbell ANC, Chandler RK, Feaster DJ, Glasgow LM, Gibson EB, Holloway J, Lofwall MR, Mack A, Mack N, Nunes EV, Talbert JC, Tan S, Vandergrift N, Villani J, Asman K, Babakhanlou-Chase H, Bagley SM, Battaglia TA, Blevins D, Bridden C, Cheng DM, Christopher M, Cogan LW, Cunningham CO, Eggleston B, Fareed N, Fernandez S, Freedman DA, Freiermuth CE, Freisthler B, Gilbert L, Hammerslag L, Harris D, Hunt T, Hussain S, Huynh P, Jackson RD, Kauffman EB, Knott C, Knudsen HK, Lefebvre RC, Levin FR, Massatti R, McAlearney AS, Morgan JR, Lopez RM, Lounsbury DW, Newman L, Nickels K, Oga EA, Oller DA, Parran TV, Quinn M, Ramsey KS, Rapkin BD, Salsberry P, Stein M, Taylor JL, Teater J, Walters ST, Zarkin GA, El-Bassel N, Winhusen TJ, Samet JH, Walsh SL

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published September 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12302724/ 

edications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) can reduce opioid use and overdose deaths. This study examined whether the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention increased MOUD initiation, retention, and linkage. Using Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Medicaid claims data, we compared mean community-level rates of MOUD outcomes during the 1-year comparison period (July 2021-June 2022) for: (a) MOUD receipt at least once; (b) continuous MOUD receipt for 180 days; and (c) MOUD linkage within 31 days following an opioid-related emergency department or hospital encounter. 

Balvanz P, Olvera RG, Booty M, McSwiggan J, Damato-MacPherson C, Ellison S, Farmer A, Klingler K, Kuntz A, Lewis N, Oser CB, Martinez LS, Stitzer S, Surratt H, Yamoah O, Berkshire A, Carter T, Campbell K, Dynes S, Gealy B, Harris F, Herrington B, Matthews S, Myers D, Rapier C, Shouse A, Szelagowsi S, McGladrey M

Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment

Published September 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12447528/ 

The opioid epidemic remains an entrenched issue in communities due to its multiple and interrelated risk factors. As part of the HEALing Communities Study, we recruited people with lived experience of substance use disorder and practitioners in the field to participate in multi-session Photovoice projects to contextualize the opioid use landscape in their respective communities. Photovoice combines photography and group discussion to explore concerns and strengths in a community. Researchers facilitated 21 Photovoice projects (N = 127 participants) across 19 communities in the Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Ohio HCS sites. We performed template analysis on the Photovoice discussion transcripts to develop a codebook organized by the Socioecological Model domains, analyzed the transcripts, and developed themes reflecting barriers to and facilitators of responding to the opioid crisis at each socioecological level. We engaged a subset of participants across sites to prioritize these results by importance in addressing the opioid epidemic in their communities.

Slavova S, Villani J, Feaster DJ, Booth A, Holloway JL, Rock PJ, Hammerslag LR, Mack A, Knott CE, McCarthy JV, Talbert J, LaRochelle MR, Freisthler B, Gibbons BJ, Patts G, Bullard MJ, Walsh SL

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published September 2025 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40482517/ 

This paper introduces the HCS measures for monitoring the intervention uptake, reports crude rates for benchmarking, and highlights the importance of interpreting jurisdictional trends in the context of state policies. We present technical specifications for the HCS measures and the common data model. Crude rates for the evaluation period (July 2021- June 2022) are reported by state and study arm (intervention/Wave 1 or wait-listed/Wave 2 communities), along with longitudinal trends from 2017 to 2023. Year 2023 serves as a post-intervention period for Wave 1 communities and an intervention year for Wave 2 communities.

Chen S, Aldrich A, Andrews-Higgins S, Back-Haddix S, Bartkus M, Brown JL, Davis J, Drainoni ML, Goddard-Eckrich D, Goetz M, Gumudavelly D, Huerta TR, McAlearney AS, Roberts S, Walker DM

Telemedicine Journal and e-Health

Published September 2025 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40323675/ 

The rapid expansion of telehealth-delivered medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical digital divide issues in communities. How community context influences the digital divide remains unclear, creating uncertainty about ameliorating the gaps in access to tele-MOUD. 

Childerhose JE, Gelberg K, Vickers-Smith R, Dzurec ME, Oga E, Harris M, Caspar R, Babineau DC, Hall ME, Linas BS, Marks KE, Fallin-Bennett A, Fanucchi LC, Gilbert L, David JL, Russo M, Lancaster KE, Fernandez S, Konstan M, Chandler RK, Roeber C, Villani J, Jackson RD, Freisthler B, Walsh SL, El-Bassel N

Harm Reduction Journal

Published August 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12379525/ 

The Stay Safe Study is the first observational prospective cohort study investigating fentanyl test strip (FTS) use by people who use drugs (PWUD) and distribution by community organizations that provide harm reduction services (e.g., naloxone distribution) in three states (Kentucky, New York, and Ohio). The purpose of this paper is to describe the study design, along with implementation successes and challenges. A related goal is to provide recommendations and encourage researchers to undertake multi-state and multilevel studies of FTS use and distribution.

Silwal A, Bohler R, Hunt T, Olvera RG, Lofwall MR, Cook CD, Marks KR, Bridden C, Freeman PR, Nouvong M, Fanucchi LC, El-Bassel N, Frazier LA, Walsh SL, Talbert JC

International Journal of Drug Policy

Published August 2025 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395925001513?via%3Dihub 

The HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term®) Communities Study (HCS) aimed to reduce opioid-involved overdose deaths across four states (Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio) via community-engaged implementation of three evidence-based practices (EBPs): (1) opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution, (2) medication for opioid use disorder expansion/linkage/retention, and (3) safer opioid prescribing and dispensing practices. A policy workgroup (PWG) was convened and developed a procedure to identify and address policies potentially impacting EBP implementation. A five-step method was developed to identify, track, and respond to relevant policies at three of the research sites (Kentucky, Massachusetts, and New York) in collaboration with community partners and stakeholders. Policies possibly impacting EBPs were reported, reviewed, and documented, including any actions taken to address the policy issue. Policies were discussed with local, state, and federal level stakeholders in attempts to resolve barriers, clarify misunderstandings, and disseminate facilitators.

Freedman DA, Knudsen HK, Chahine RA, Hunt T, Oga E, Aldrich AM, Roberts S, Glasgow L, Garner BR, Tan S, Holloway J, Huerta T, Baden C, Salsberry P, Freisthler B.

AJPM Focus

Published July 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12480868/ 

The goal was to evaluate how changes in coalition capacity and leadership were related to adoption and reach of overdose education and naloxone distribution in communities participating in the HEALing Communities Study.

HEALing Communities Study Consortium; Barocas JA, Aldridge A, Adkins KF, Barbosa C, Battaglia TA, Bush J, Castry M, Corry G, Clarke T, El-Bassel N, Figueroa W, Freedman DA, Freisthler B, Gibbons B, Gibson EB, Glasgow L, Harlow K, Huerta TR, Hunt T, Johnson R, Larimore E, Linas BP, Luckey JM, Montoya I, Murphy SM, Oga E, Onuoha E, Orme S, Ryan D, Schackman BR, Seiber EE, Singer M, Speer D, Starbird L, Tin Y, Villani J, Walsh SL, Watson C, Zarkin GA, McCollister K

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published July 2025 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40311556/ 

The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) was conducted across four states with the goal of decreasing opioid-related overdose deaths by increasing community-level adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs). Providing communities with training, technical assistance, and resources to aid them in addressing opioid overdoses was central to the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention. The intervention included 1) community engagement (CE) to facilitate data-driven EBP selection and implementation, 2) a menu of EBPs to implement, and 3) communication campaigns.We performed an economic cost analysis for the 33 communities implementing CTH over a 30-month intervention period in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. Cost data were obtained from community members, consultants, and research faculty and staff. This study focuses on the communities' perspective and reports costs paid directly with HCS funds and the opportunity costs of community members' time and other unreimbursed resources. We report average costs across communities and for each component of the CTH.

Gilbert L, Chahine R, Chandler R, Feaster DJ, Kim E, Aldridge A, Bagley S, Balvanz P, Fernandez S, Rock P, Vickers-Smith RA, Villani J, Battaglia T, Brown J, Bush H, Chase RP, Collins T, D'Costa L, Damato-MacPherson C, David JL, Defiore-Hyrmer J, Freeman PR, Glasgow L, Hammerslag LR, Hotchkiss J, Hunt T, Hussain S, Kamanu V, Knott C, Knudsen HK, LaRochelle M, Laudate A, Lyons M, McMullan J, Nakayima J, Schackman BR, Slavova S, Tan S, Vandergrift N, Walters ST, Westgate PM, Wu E, Young AM, Zarkin GA, Freisthler B, Oga E, Samet JH, Walsh SL, Winhusen J, Jackson R, El-Bassel N

International Journal of Drug Policy

Published June 2025 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40220509/ 

Full text available June 2026 @ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104798 

Along with a surge of opioid overdose deaths in the United States, the rates of nonfatal opioid overdose (NFOO) emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations have been sharply increasing. In the HEALing Communities Study (HCS), we conducted a pre-specified secondary analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of the Community that HEALS (CTH) intervention on reducing the count of NFOO ED visits and hospitalizations in a multi-site cluster randomized multi-site, two-arm, parallel, community-level, open, wait list-controlled trial study, Sixty-seven communities in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio were randomized to the intervention (N = 34) or waitlist control condition (N = 33) stratified by state and balanced by urban/rural classification, fatal opioid overdose rate and population size of communities. We compared the rate of NFOO per 100,000 adults aged ≥18 years between intervention and control communities from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. Rates were calculated in per 100,000 or per 100 adult population measured by inpatient and ED records for intervention community residents with an ICD-10-CM code for opioid poisoning.

Vickers-Smith RA, Gelberg KH, Childerhose JE, Babineau DC, Chandler R, David JL, D'Costa L, Dzurec M, Eggleston B, Fallin-Bennett A, Fanucchi LC, Fernandez S, Gilbert J, Gilbert L, Hall ME, Hiltz BE, Konstan MW, Lancaster KE, Linas B, Marks KR, Michaels N, Miles J, Montero F, Ramsey Harden HJ, Roeber C, Russo MR, Taylor R, Theis MA, Villani J, Oga E, El-Bassel N, Walsh SL, Freisthler B

JAMA Network

Published May 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12076174/ 

This cohort study evaluates whether self-reported baseline fentanyl test strip use among people who use drugs was associated with overdose risk reduction behaviors and nonfatal overdose over a 28-day follow-up.

Gibson EB, Glasgow L, Nouvong M, McGladrey M, Freedman D, Chassler D, Vickers-Smith R, D'Onfro M, Goddard-Eckrich DA, Hunt T, Chatterjee A, Holloway J, Fain K, Cruz RS, Martinez LS

Discover Public Health

 Published May 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12104109/ 

Addressing the opioid overdose crisis requires developing contextually specific strategies promoting the adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to prevent and treat opioid use disorder (OUD), including overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) and medications for OUD (MOUD). To effectively reach the groups most affected by the opioid crisis, EBP strategies must be adjusted to fit the culture and contexts of different communities.

Harris DR, Shrestha S, Rock P, Silwal A, Barboza-Salerno G, Lewis O, Srinivasan S, Stopka TJ

Journal of Substance Use Addiction Treatment

Published April 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11908932/ 

The location of buprenorphine treatment providers in the United States is pivotal to the understanding of regional factors associated with prescription and uptake. We evaluated how distinct data sources of treatment providers and their associated locations contribute to the differences observed when measuring buprenorphine accessibility.

Shrestha S, Lewis O, Harris D, Rock P, Silwal A, Srinivasan S, Stopka TJ

Preventive Medicine Reports

Published March 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11995124/ 

Access to substance use treatment is critical to reduce the risk of opioid overdose. However, analyzing geographic accessibility using singular measures may provide imprecise estimates. Our objective was to examine changes in geographic accessibility to buprenorphine providers across three HEALing Communities Study (HCS) states, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Ohio in the US, using multiple spatial analyses and determining whether disparities in access existed across geographic regions and sociodemographic indicators.  

We used buprenorphine provider data from the Drug Enforcement Administration database in January 2020 (reference point) and June 2022. We used four methods to examine changes in geographic accessibility to buprenorphine: 1) kernel density analysis; 2) change in rates analysis (at the county or municipality level); 3) minkowski distance (drive-time to the nearest provider); 4) enhanced 2-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) and spatial regression analyses, controlling for HCS communities (Wave 1 or Wave 2) and other sociodemographic factors.

Olvera RG, Cogan AG, Bartkus M, Benjamin SN, Davis J, Frazier LA, Henry BF, Hunt T, Kinnard EN, Mattingly H, McAlearney AS, Rivera D, Drainoni ML, Walker DM

BMJ Public Health

Published Feb 2025 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11883888/ 

The opioid epidemic in the USA presents a multifaceted challenge regulated by a patchwork of federal, state and local policies. In some communities, cross-sector coalitions navigate this complex policy environment to address the epidemic. However, limited research has explored these public health-oriented community coalitions and their interactions with the policy landscape. This study explores how cross-sector public health-oriented community coalition members perceive and navigate the multidimensional policy landscapes to address the opioid epidemic.

Nicky Lewis, Barry Eggleston, Redonna K Chandler, Dawn Goddard-Eckrich, Jamie E Luster, Dacia D Beard, Emma Rodgers, Rouba Chahine, Philip M Westgate, Shoshana N Benjamin, JaNae Holloway, Thomas Clarke, R Craig Lefebvre, Michael D Stein, Donald W Helme, Jennifer Reynolds, Sharon L Walsh, Darcy Freedman, Nabila El-Bassel, Kara Stephens, Anita Silwal, Michelle Lofwall, Janet E Childerhose, Hilary L Surratt, Brooke N Crockett, Amy L Farmer, James L David, Laura Fanucchi, Judy Harness, Ben Wilburn, Kelli Bursey, Kristin Mattson, Sarah Mann, Rebecca D Jackson, Aimee Shadwick, Katherine Calver, Deborah Chassler, Jennifer Kimball, Nancy Regan, Jeffrey H Samet, Rachel Sword-Cruz, Michael D Slater

PLoS One

Published December 2024

The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) included health campaigns as part of a community-engaged intervention to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths in 67 highly impacted communities across Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. Five campaigns were developed with community input to provide information on opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose prevention, reduce stigma, and build demand for evidence-based practices (EBPs). An evaluation examined the recognition of campaign messages about naloxone and whether stigma and efficacy beliefs regarding OUD treatment and naloxone changed in HCS intervention communities. Study findings indicate associations between campaign message recognition and positive outcomes. Results also highlight possible challenges concerning evaluations of social media campaigns using conventional evaluation techniques.

Mathieu Castry, Yjuliana Tin, Noah M Feder, Nikki Lewis, Avik Chatterjee, Maria Rudorf, Jeffrey H Samet, Donna Beers, Bethany Medley, Louisa Gilbert, Benjamin P Linas, Joshua A Barocas

Journal of Substance Use Addiction Treatment

Published December 2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11527578/ 

Mobile substance use treatment units are effective approaches to increase treatment access and reduce barriers to opioid use disorder (OUD) care. However, little is known about the economic costs of maintaining and operating these units. This study aimed to estimate the economic costs of starting and maintaining mobile units providing harm reduction, overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND), and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

Bridget Freisthler, Rouba A Chahine, Jennifer Villani, Redonna Chandler, Daniel J Feaster, Svetla Slavova, Jolene Defiore-Hyrmer, Alexander Y Walley, Sarah Kosakowski, Arnie Aldridge, Carolina Barbosa, Sabana Bhatta, Candace Brancato, Carly Bridden, Mia Christopher, Tom Clarke, James David, Lauren D'Costa, Irene Ewing, Soledad Fernandez, Erin Gibson, Louisa Gilbert, Megan E Hall, Sarah Hargrove, Timothy Hunt, Elizabeth N Kinnard, Lauren Larochelle, Aaron Macoubray, Shawn Nigam, Edward V Nunes, Carrie B Oser, Sharon Pagnano, Peter Rock, Pamela Salsberry, Aimee Shadwick, Thomas J Stopka, Sylvia Tan, Jessica L Taylor, Philip M Westgate, Elwin Wu, Gary A Zarkin, Sharon L Walsh, Nabila El-Bassel, T John Winhusen, Jeffrey H Samet, Emmanuel A Oga

JAMA Network Open 

Published October 2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11581668/ 

Did a data-driven, community coalition–engaged intervention effectively reduce opioid overdose deaths, total drug overdose deaths, and specific opioid-involved polysubstance overdose deaths?

Peter Balvanz, Ramona G Olvera, Margaret McGladrey, Marisa Booty, Dacia Beard, Sylvia Ellison, Craig McClay, Monica Nouvong, Carrie B Oser, Owusua Yamoah, Linda Sprague Martinez 

Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment

Published October 2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11443456/ 

The product of a cross-state collaboration, this HCS Photovoice protocol provides ethical and methodological tools for incorporating Photovoice into RCT designs to enhance community engagement, communication campaigns, and data-driven decision-making about evidence-based practice selection and implementation.

Paul J Christine, Rouba A Chahine, Simeon D Kimmel, Nicole Mack, Christian Douglas, Thomas J Stopka, Katherine Calver, Laura C Fanucchi, Svetla Slavova, Michelle Lofwall, Daniel J Feaster, Michael Lyons, Jerel Ezell, Marc R Larochelle 

JAMA Network Open

Published August 2024 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11301557/ 

What is the association of the relaxation of training requirements to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder in April 2021 with changes in the number of clinicians eligible to and who prescribe buprenorphine and the number of patients receiving buprenorphine treatment?

Ann Scheck McAlearney, Daniel M. Walker, Karen Shiu-Yee, Erika L. Crable, Vanessa Auritt, Laura Barkowski, Evan J. Batty, Anindita Dasgupta, Dawn Goddard-Eckrich, Hannah K. Knudsen, Tara McCrimmon, Ariel Scalise, Cynthia Sieck, Jennifer Wood, Mari-Lynn Drainoni.

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

Published June 2024 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231165933

Background: A major part of the HEALing Communities Study (HCS), launched in 2019 to address the growing opioid epidemic, is evaluating the study’s intervention implementation process through an implementation science (IS) approach. One component of the IS approach involves teams with more than 20 researchers collaborating across four research sites to conduct in-depth qualitative interviews with over 300 participants at four time points. After completion of the first two rounds of data collection, we reflect upon our qualitative data collection and analysis approach. We aim to share our lessons learned about designing and applying qualitative methods within an implementation science framework.

LaShawn Glasgow, Christian Douglas, Joel G Sprunger, Aimee N C Campbell, Redonna Chandler, Anindita Dasgupta, JaNae Holloway, Katherine R Marks, Sara M Roberts, Linda Sprague Martinez, Katherine Thompson, Roger D Weiss, Arnie Aldridge, Kat Asman, Carolina Barbosa, Derek Blevins, Deborah Chassler, Lindsay Cogan, Laura Fanucchi, Megan E Hall, Timothy Hunt, Elizabeth Jadovich, Frances R Levin, Patricia Lincourt, Michelle R Lofwall, Vanessa Loukas, Ann Scheck McAlearney, Edward Nunes, Emmanuel Oga, Devin Oller, Maria Rudorf, Ann Marie Sullivan, Jeffery Talbert, Angela Taylor, Julie Teater, Nathan Vandergrift, Kristin Woodlock, Gary A Zarkin, Bridget Freisthler, Jeffrey H Samet, Sharon L Walsh, Nabila El-Bassel 

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published April 2024  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111286

Background

The U.S. opioid overdose crisis persists. Outpatient behavioral health services (BHS) are essential components of a comprehensive response to opioid use disorder and overdose fatalities. The Helping to End Addiction Long-Term® (HEALing) Communities Study developed the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention to reduce opioid overdose deaths in 67 communities in Kentucky, Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts through the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs), including BHS. This paper compares the rate of individuals receiving outpatient BHS in Wave 1 intervention communities (n = 34) to waitlisted Wave 2 communities (n = 33).

Iván D Montoya, Colleen Watson, Arnie Aldridge, Danielle Ryan, Sean M Murphy, Brenda Amuchi, Kathryn E McCollister, Bruce R Schackman, Joshua L Bush, Drew Speer, Kristin Harlow, Stephen Orme, Gary A Zarkin, Mathieu Castry, Eric E Seiber, Joshua A Barocas, Benjamin P Linas, Laura E Starbird 

Addiction Science and Clinical Practice

Published April 2024 (Open Access) doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-024-00454-w

Background: Communities That HEAL (CTH) is a novel, data-driven community-engaged intervention designed to reduce opioid overdose deaths by increasing community engagement, adoption of an integrated set of evidence-based practices, and delivering a communications campaign across healthcare, behavioral-health, criminal-legal, and other community-based settings. The implementation of such a complex initiative requires up-front investments of time and other expenditures (i.e., start-up costs). Despite the importance of these start-up costs in investment decisions to stakeholders, they are typically excluded from cost-effectiveness analyses. The objective of this study is to report a detailed analysis of CTH start-up costs pre-intervention implementation and to describe the relevance of these data for stakeholders to determine implementation feasibility.

Alissa Davis, Hannah K Knudsen, Daniel M Walker, Deborah Chassler, Karsten Lunze, Philip M Westgate, Emmanuel Oga, Sandra Rodriguez, Sylvia Tan, JaNae Holloway, Sharon L Walsh, Carrie B Oser, R Craig Lefebvre, Laura C Fanucchi, LaShawn Glasgow, Ann Scheck McAlearney , Hilary L Surratt, Michael W Konstan, Terry T-K Huang, Patricia LeBaron, Julie Nakayima, Michael D Stein, Maria Rudorf, Monica Nouvong, Elizabeth N Kinnard, Nabila El-Bassel, Jess Tilley, Aaron Macoubray, Caroline Savitzky, Amy Farmer, Donna Beers, Pamela Salsberry, Timothy R Huerta

Lancet Regional Health. Americas

Published March 2024 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2024.100710

Background: Community stigma against people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and intervention stigma (e.g., toward naloxone) exacerbate the opioid overdose crisis. We examined the effects of the Communities that HEAL (CTH) intervention on perceived opioid-related community stigma by stakeholders in the HEALing Communities Study (HCS).

Daniel M Walker, R Craig Lefebvre, Alissa Davis, Karen Shiu-Yee, Sadie Chen, Rebecca D Jackson, Donald W Helme, Emmanuel A Oga, Carrie B Oser, Caroline Stotz, Peter Balvanz, Kat Asman, JaNae Holloway, Nicky Lewis, Hannah K Knudsen

Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment

Published March 2024  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2023.209276

Introduction: To examine differences in perceptions about community stigma towards individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) between community members involved in the opioid response (i.e., coalition members) and the general public, and how community geography may moderate this relationship.

Methods: This study administered identical cross-sectional surveys about perceived community opioid-related stigma to two distinct populations in 66 communities participating in the HEALing Communities Study prior to the intervention period (i.e., coalition members, November 2019-January 2020; residents, March-April 2020). Linear-mixed models compared survey responses of populations, including the moderating effect of community rural/urban location.

Thomas J Stopka, Denise C Babineau, Erin B Gibson, Charles E Knott, Debbie M Cheng, Jennifer Villani, Jonathan M Wai, Derek Blevins, James L David, Dawn A Goddard-Eckrich, Michelle R Lofwall, Richard Massatti, Jolene DeFiore-Hyrmer, Michael S Lyons, Laura C Fanucchi, Daniel R Harris, Jeffery Talbert, Lindsey Hammerslag, Devin Oller, Raymond R Balise, Daniel J Feaster, William Soares, Gary A Zarkin, LaShawn Glasgow, Emmanuel Oga, John McCarthy, Lauren D'Costa, Rouba Chahine, Steve Gomori, Netrali Dalvi, Shikhar Shrestha, Chad Garner, Aimee Shadwick, Pamela Salsberry, Michael W Konstan, Bridget Freisthler, John Winhusen, Nabila El-Bassel, Jeffrey H Samet, Sharon L Walsh

JAMA Network Open

Published February 2024 (Open Access)  https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.0132

Importance  Buprenorphine significantly reduces opioid-related overdose mortality. From 2002 to 2022, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) required qualified practitioners to receive a waiver from the Drug Enforcement Agency to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. During this period, waiver uptake among practitioners was modest; subsequent changes need to be examined.

Alissa Davis, Kristi Lynn Stringer, Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Carrie B. Oser, Hannah K. Knudsen, Alison Aldrich, Hilary L. Surratt, Daniel M. Walker, Louisa Gilbert, Dget L. Downey, Sam D. Gardner, Sylvia Tan, Lisa M. Lines, Nathan Vandergrift, Nicole Mack, JaNae Holloway, Karsten Lunze, Amy Scheck McAlearney, Timothy R. Huerta, Dawn A. Goddard-Eckrich, and Nabila El-Bassel

International Journal of Drug Policy

Published December 2023 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104241

Background

Community stigma toward people with opioid use disorder (OUD) can impede access to harm reduction services and treatment with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Such community OUD stigma is partially rooted in community-level social and economic conditions, yet there remains a paucity of large-scale quantitative data examining community-level factors associated with OUD stigma. We examined whether rurality, social inequity, and racialized segregation across communities from four states in the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) were associated with 1) greater perceived community stigma toward people treated for OUD, 2) greater perceived intervention stigma toward MOUD, and 3) greater perceived intervention stigma toward naloxone by community stakeholders in the HCS.

Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Aimee Mack, Redonna K. Chandler, Laura C. Fanucchi, Daniel J. Feaster, Marc R. LaRochelle, Michelle R. Lofwall, Michael Nau, Jennifer Villani, Sharon L. Walsh, Philip M. Westgate, Svetla Slavova, and Jeffery C. Talbert

JAMA Network Open

Published October 2023 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.36914 

Importance

Early COVID-19 mitigation strategies placed an additional burden on individuals seeking care for opioid use disorder (OUD). Telemedicine provided a way to initiate and maintain transmucosal buprenorphine treatment of OUD.

Objective

To examine associations between transmucosal buprenorphine OUD treatment modality (telemedicine vs traditional) during the COVID-19 public health emergency and the health outcomes of treatment retention and opioid-related nonfatal overdose.

Nina Cesare, Lisa M. Lines, Redonna Chandler, Erin B. Gibson, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Rebecca Jackson, Angela R. Bazzi, Dawn Goddard-Eckrish, Nasim Sabounchi, Deena J. Chisholm, Nathan Vandergrift, and Emmanuel Oga

Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment

Published October 2023 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2023.209186

Introduction

Social determinants of health (SDoH), such as socioeconomic status, education level, and food insecurity, are believed to influence the opioid crisis. While global SDoH indices such as the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and Area Deprivation Index (ADI) combine the explanatory power of multiple social factors for understanding health outcomes, they may be less applicable to the specific challenges of opioid misuse and associated outcomes. This study develops a novel index tailored to opioid misuse outcomes, tests the efficacy of this index in predicting drug overdose deaths across contexts, and compares the explanatory power of this index to other SDoH indices.

Katherine R. Marks, Jeffery Talbert, Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Michelle R. Lofwall, Laura C. Fanucchi, Holly Broce, and Sharon L. Walsh

Journal of Opioid Management

Published October 2023 https://doi.org/10.5055/jom.2023.0801

Objective: 

To describe the process of establishing a Methadone Central Registry (MCR) as part of the HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM) Communities Study (HCS) and to support recommendations with evidence of its functionality relative to Medicaid claims data for monitoring utilization of methadone, an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder.

Michael D. Stein, Carol Krause, Emma Rodgers, Anita Silwal, Donald Helme, Michael Slater, Dacia Beard, Nicky Lewis, Jamie Luster, Kara Stephens, and Craig Lefebvre

Journal of Health Communication

Published October 2023  https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2023.2262948

Abstract

This paper outlines lessons learned from tailoring communication campaigns to increase demand for, and reduce stigma toward, evidence-based practices to reduce opioid overdose deaths in 66 communities participating in the HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM) Communities Study (HCS). We present nine lessons gathered about how to engage local communities in both virtual and in-person opioid messaging and distribution between February 2019 and June 2022. The research team created four communication campaigns and did extensive, tailored marketing and promotion to assist communities in implementing evidence-based clinical activities to reduce opioid overdose mortality. Various strategies and venues were used to amplify HCS messages, using free and paid outlets for message distribution, focusing primarily on social media due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing the availability of medications for opioid use disorder and naloxone, as HCS attempted, is not enough; getting people to accept and use them depends on communication efforts. This paper focuses on the process of preparing communities for communication campaign activities, which we hope can help guide other communities preparing for opioid or substance-related campaigns in the future.

Shikhar Shrestha, Megan R. Lindstrom, Daniel Harris, Peter Rock, Sumeeta Srinivasan, Jennifer C. Pustz, Ric Bayly, and Thomas J. Stopka

Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment

Published July 2023 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2023.209077

Introduction

The opioid overdose epidemic continues to impact a large swath of the population in the US. Medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD) are an effective resource to combat the epidemic; however, there is limited research on MOUD treatment access that accounts for both supply of and demand for services. We aimed to examine access to buprenorphine prescribers in the HEALing Communities Study (HCS) Wave 2 communities in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Kentucky during 2021, and the association between buprenorphine access and opioid-related incidents, specifically fatal overdoses and opioid-related responses by emergency medical services (EMS).

Anita Silwal, Jeffery Talbert, Robert M. Bohler, Jordan Kelsch, Christopher Cook, Derek Blevins, Molly Gallivan, Timothy Hunt, Sarah M. Hatcher, Cindy Parks Thomas, Soncere Williams, Laura Fanucchi, Michelle R. Lofwall 

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports

Published June 2023 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2023.100164

Background

In 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services released guidelines allowing waiver-eligible providers seeking to treat up to 30 patients to be exempt from waiver training (WT) and the counseling and other ancillary services (CAS) attestation. This study evaluates if states and the District of Columbia had more restrictive policies preventing adoption of the 2021 federal guidelines.

Redonna Chandler, Edward V. Nunes, Sylvia Tan, Patricia R. Freeman, Alexander Y. Walley, Michelle Lofwall, Emmanuel Oga, LaShawn Glasgow, Jennifer L. Brown, Laura Fanucchi, Donna Beers, Timothy Hunt, Rachel Bowers-Sword, Carter Roeber, Trevor Baker, and T. John Winhusen

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published April 2023 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109804

Abstract

The Helping End Addictions Long Term (HEALing) Communities Study (HCS) seeks to significantly reduce overdose deaths in 67 highly impacted communities in Kentucky (KY), Massachusetts (MA), New York (NY), and Ohio (OH) by implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) to reduce overdose deaths. The Opioid-overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach (ORCCA) organizes EBP strategies under three menus: Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND), Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), and Safer Prescribing and Dispensing Practices (SPDP). The ORCCA sets requirements for strategy selection but allows flexibility to address community needs. This paper describes and compiles strategy selection and examines two hypotheses: 1) OEND selections will differ significantly between communities with higher versus lower opioid-involved overdose deaths; 2) MOUD selections will differ significantly between urban versus rural settings.

Robert M. Bohler, Patricia R. Freeman, Jennifer Villani, Tim Hunt, Beth S. Linas, Alexander Y. Walley, Traci C. Green, Michelle R. Lofwall, Carly Bridden, Lisa A. Frazier, Laura C. Fanucchi, Jeffery C. Talbert, and Redonna K. Chandler

Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports

Published March 2023 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100126

Background

Expanding access to naloxone is one of the most impactful interventions in decreasing opioid-related mortality. However, state distribution rates of naloxone are insufficient to meet community need. The current study sought to better understand this gap by focusing on state policies that may facilitate or impede naloxone distribution in four states highly impacted by fatal opioid overdoses – Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio.

April M. Young, Jennifer L. Brown, Timothy Hunt, Linda S. Sprague Martinez, Redonna Chandler, Emmanuel Oga, T. John Winhusen, Trevor Baker, Tracy Battaglia, Rachel Bowers-Sword, Amy Button, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Laura Fanucchi, Patricia Freeman, LaShawn M. Glasgow, Jennifer Gulley, Charles Kendell, Michelle Lofwall, Michael S. Lyons, Maria Quinn, Brude David Rapking, Hilary L. Surratt, and Sharon L. Walsh

BMJ Open 

Published September 2022 (Open Access) https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e059328   

Introduction 

Opioid-involved overdose deaths continue to surge in many communities, despite numerous evidence-based practices (EBPs) that exist to prevent them. The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) was launched to develop and test an intervention (ie, Communities That HEAL (CTH)) that supports communities in expanding uptake of EBPs to reduce opioid-involved overdose deaths. This paper describes a protocol for a process foundational to the CTH intervention through which community coalitions select strategies to implement EBPs locally.

Xiaoyu Tang, Timothy Heeren, Philip M. Westgate, Daniel J. Feaster, Soledad A. Fernandex, Nathan Vandergrift, and Debbie M. Cheng

BMC

Published September 2022 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06708-9

Background

The HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM) Communities Study (HCS) is a multi-site parallel group cluster randomized wait-list comparison trial designed to evaluate the effect of the Communities That Heal (CTH) intervention compared to usual care on opioid overdose deaths. Covariate-constrained randomization (CCR) was applied to balance the community-level baseline covariates in the HCS. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of model-based tests and permutation tests in the HCS setting. We conducted a simulation study to evaluate type I error rates and power for model-based and permutation tests for the multi-site HCS as well as for a subgroup analysis of a single state (Massachusetts). We also investigated whether the maximum degree of imbalance in the CCR design has an impact on the performance of the tests.

Anita Silwal, Anna Maria South, Cindy P. Thomas, Jeffery Talbert, Laura C. Fanucchi, Michelle R. Lofwall, and Robert M. Bohler

The Hospitalist

Published June 2022  https://www.the-hospitalist.org/hospitalist/article/32316/clinical-guidelines/new-hhs-guidance-for-increasing-number-of-buprenorphine-providers-who-can-treat-oud/ 

The ongoing opioid epidemic 

The U.S. hit a grim milestone of more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths,1 most opioid-involved, in the 12 months ending April 2021. This alarming increase underscores the critical need to expand access to effective medications for opioid use disorder (OUD), including in the hospital setting, as noted by Linker and colleagues in The Hospitalist in December, 2021.2

New hope: federal policy change aims to remove barriers

In a further effort to expand the buprenorphine prescribing workforce, HHS issued a new policy guideline4 on April 28, 2021. It outlined a process where eligible providers with a valid DEA registration and state clinical license can receive the 30-patient-limit waivers without completing the prerequisite 8- or 24-hour waiver training for physicians and non-physicians, respectively, and attesting to the capacity to refer patients to counseling and other ancillary services. 

Daniel M. Walker, Janet E. Childrehose, Sadie Chen, Nicolette Coovert, Rebecca D. Jackson, Natasha Kurien, Ann Scheck McAlearney, Jaclyn Volney, Daniel P. Alford, Julie Bosak, Douglas R. Oyler, Laura K. Stinson, Melika Behrooz, Mia-Cara Christoper, and Mari-Lynn Drainoni

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published April 2022 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109342

Background:

Community-based perspectives are needed to more broadly inform policy-makers, public health practitioners, prescribers, and pharmacists about community-led and broader efforts to reduce opioid overprescribing, and ultimately reduce prescription opioid use disorder, overdoses and fatalities. The aim of this study is to explore community-based perspectives on efforts to change opioid prescribing practices in their communities.

Douglas R. Oyler, Svetla Slavova, Patricia R. Freeman, Zhengyan Huang, Jeffery Talbert, Sharon L. Walsh, and Philip M. Westgate

Journal of Rural Health

Published February 2022 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12653

Purpose:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US DEA allowed controlled substance prescriptions to be issued following a telemedicine encounter. This study evaluated changes in opioid prescribing in Kentucky counties with low and high rates of broadband subscription before, during, and after a series of statewide emergency declarations that may have affected health care access.

Avik Chatterjee, LaShawn Glasgow, Mackenzie Bullard, Mariah Sabir, Greer Hamilton, Deborah Chassler, Danelle J. Stevens-Watkins, Dawn Goddard-Eckrich, Emma Rodgers, Joan Chaya, Sandra Rodriguez, Damara N. Gutnick, Emmanuel A. Oga, Pamela Salsberry, Linda Sprague Martinez

American Journal of Public Health

Published February 2022 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306572

Background

Structural racism, “the totality of ways in which societies foster racial discrimination through mutually reinforcing systems of housing, education, employment, earnings, benefits, credit, media, health care, and criminal justice,” is pervasive in the United States, impacting all systems including addiction treatment.1(p1453) This article describes efforts to center racial equity in the Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEALing) Communities Study (HCS), a multisite implementation research study sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to reduce opioid overdose deaths in highly affected communities.2 Guided by what Public Health Critical Race Praxis (a framework to help researchers understand and challenge the power hierarchies that buttress health inequities) terms “disciplinary self- critique,”3 we share lessons and opportunities that we hope will resonate with researchers and funders in the addiction field and help us all better center racial equity in our work.

Mari-Lynn Drainoni, Hannah K. Knudsen, Kathy Adams, Shaquita A. Andrews-Higgins, Sandi Back, Laura K. Barkowski, Evan J. Batty, Melika R. Behroox, Sydney Bell, Sadie Chen, Mia-Cara Christopher, Nicolette Coovert, Erika L. Crable, Anindita Dasgupta, Michael Goetz, Dawn Goddard-Eckrich, Jeanie L. Hartman, Holly Heffer, Pulwasha Iftikhar,Latasha Jones, Samantha Lang, Karsten Lunze, Anna Martin, Tara McCrimmon, Melissa K. Reedy-Johnson, Carter Roeber, Ariel L. Scalise, Cynthia J. Sieck, Daniel M. Walker, Galya Walt, Jennifer D. Wood, Priscilla Zito, and Ann Scheck McAlearney

Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment

Published January 2022 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2022.108731

Introduction:

Opioid overdoses are a major public health emergency in the United States. Despite effective treatments that can save lives, access to and utilization of such treatments are limited. Community context plays an important role in addressing treatment barriers and increasing access. The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) is a multisite community-level cluster-randomized trial that will study implementation and outcomes of a community coalition-based intervention (Communities that HEAL [CTH]) that implements evidence-based practices (EBPs) to reduce opioid overdose deaths in four states. To examine contextual factors critical to understanding implementation, we assessed the perspectives of community members about their communities, current substance use–related services, and other important issues that could impact intervention implementation.

Philip M. Westgate, Debbie M. Cheng, Daniel J. Feaster, Soledad Fernandez, Abigail B. Shoben, and Nathan Vandergrift

Clinical Trials 

Published January 2022 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1177/17407745211063479

Background/aims

This work is motivated by the HEALing Communities Study, which is a post-test only cluster randomized trial in which communities are randomized to two different trial arms. The primary interest is in reducing opioid overdose fatalities, which will be collected as a count outcome at the community level. Communities range in size from thousands to over one million residents, and fatalities are expected to be rare.

Traditional marginal modeling approaches in the cluster randomized trial literature include the use of generalized estimating equations with an exchangeable correlation structure when utilizing subject-level data, or analogously quasi-likelihood based on an over-dispersed binomial variance when utilizing community-level data. These approaches account for and estimate the intra-cluster correlation coefficient, which should be provided in the results from a cluster randomized trial. Alternatively, the coefficient of variation or R coefficient could be reported.

In this manuscript, we show that negative binomial regression can also be utilized when communities are large and events are rare. The objectives of this manuscript are: 1) to show that the negative binomial regression approach targets the same marginal regression parameter(s) as an over-dispersed binomial model, and to explain why the estimates may differ; 2) to derive formulas relating the negative binomial overdispersion parameter k with the intra-cluster correlation coefficient, coefficient of variation and R coefficient; and 3) analyze pre-intervention data from the HEALing Communities Study to demonstrate and contrast models as well as to show how to report the intra-cluster correlation coefficient, coefficient of variation and R coefficient when utilizing negative binomial regression.

Elisabeth D. Root, Svetla Slavova, Marc LaRochelle, Daniel J. Feaster, Jennifer Villani, Jolene Defiore-Hymer, Nabila El-Bassel, Rosa Ergas, Kitty Gelberg, Rebecca Jackson, Kara Manchester, Megha Parikh, Peter Rock, and Sharon L. Walsh

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Published November 2021 (Open Access) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108977

Background

Although national syndromic surveillance data reported declines in emergency department (ED) visits after the declaration of the national stay-at-home order for COVID-19, little is known whether these declines were observed for suspected opioid overdose.

Methods

This interrupted time series study used syndromic surveillance data from four states participating in the HEALing Communities Study: Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. All ED encounters for suspected opioid overdose (n = 48,301) occurring during the first 31 weeks of 2020 were included. We examined the impact of the national public health emergency for COVID-19 (declared on March 14, 2020) on trends in ED encounters for suspected opioid overdose.

Marc R. Larochelle, Svetla Slavova, Elisabeth D. Root, Daniel J. Feaster, Patrick J. Ward, Sabrina C. Selk, Charles Knott, Jennifer Villani, and Jeffrey H. Samet

American Journal of Public Health

Published October 2021 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306431

Abstract

Objectives. To examine trends in opioid overdose deaths by race/ethnicity from 2018 to 2019 across 67 HEALing Communities Study (HCS) communities in Kentucky, New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio.

Methods. We used state death certificate records to calculate opioid overdose death rates per 100 000 adult residents of the 67 HCS communities for 2018 and 2019. We used Poisson regression to calculate the ratio of 2019 to 2018 rates. We compared changes by race/ethnicity by calculating a ratio of rate ratios (RRR) for each racial/ethnic group compared with non-Hispanic White individuals.

Daniel R. Harris and Nima Seyedtalebi

2021 IEEE 15th International Conference on Semantic Computing (ICSC)

Published January 2021  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8896120/ 

Abstract

We present preliminary findings in extracting semantics from reference data generated by the United States Census Bureau. US Census reference data is based upon surveys designed to collect demographics and other socioeconomic factors by geographical regions. These data sets contain thousands of variables; this complexity makes the reference data difficult to learn, query, and integrate into analyses. Researchers often avoid working directly with US Census reference data and instead work with census-derived extracts capturing a much smaller subset of records. We propose to use natural language processing to extract the semantics of census-based reference data and to map census variables to known ontologies. This semantic processing reduces the large volume of variables into more manageable sets of conceptual variables that can be organized by meaning and semantic type.