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Hospital, sheriff partner against drugs
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - September 22, 2011)
Hospital, sheriff partner against drugs
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Geauga Hospital and the Geauga County Sheriff's Department announced a new partnership Tuesday that is expected to have a lasting effect on the health of the county.
The hospital will be joining Drug Abuse Resistance Education officers in Geauga's classrooms to better educate children on the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
The program, which reaches a dozen or so schools in Geauga and will soon reach into 15 to 20 Amish schools this year, will provide students with an experienced nurse who will now add her experiences in dealing with the aftermath of a life of drugs, officials said. He said the expanded program will reach 2,000 students this year.
"With our focus on health and wellness this is right where we need to be to provide this support," M. Steve Jones, president of the University Hospital Geauga, said.
Sheriff Daniel McClelland said law enforcement is known as first responders who often come after problems have surfaced because of drug or alcohol abuse. The DARE program, he said, offers officers the rare opportunity to prevent those instances.
He said his department is the first in the state to implement the use of medical professionals in the program.
"We're very excited about this new opportunity to partner with Geauga Hospital," Mr. McClelland said, referring to the hospital network as one of the "premier" ones in the country.
He said he believes that youth represent the future of this country and an opportunity to steer them away from drug or alcohol abuse at an early age provides the best start.
The evidence-based program will remain true to its basic core principles with the addition of an experienced nurse to give children a view of the outcomes of those who chose the life of drugs or alcohol.
Serving in that role will be Paula Leonette, outreach coordinator, who has worked as an emergency room nurse for 25 years.
"She has the firsthand knowledge and experience with drug abuse in this community," Mr. Jones said.
She has also conducted several health fairs for the hospital, giving her experience in educating the public.
Mr. McClelland said DARE officers teach children how to avoid drugs, using such techniques as changing the subject when approached.
The addition of a nurse, he said, will allow the program to include showing students the long-term effects of injury accidents from alcohol or tobacco use. "There's value when she comes in in scrubs and looks the part," Mr. McClelland said.
Ms. Leonette said she may provide the students with a simulated experience of a trip to the hospital as the result of alcohol or drug abuse. "We'll have them experience what its like from the time the ambulance arrives until they check out, if they do," she said.
She said she may also show students what a person goes through when withdrawing from drugs.
Mr. Jones said additional hospital staff may also join in the presentations to students. "There are several physicians who would like to be a part of this," he said.
Mr. McClelland said his three children went through the DARE program and two are now parents. "Much of their success to avoid the pitfall of drug abuse can be credited to the program," he said.
Mr. Jones said the new partnership comes at a time when the hospital is seeing an increase in the number of patients coming in every day suffering from the effects of alcohol or drug abuse. "We're seeing two or three patients arriving every day," he said.
Typically in the past, he said, the hospital had few such patients, or maybe one in a day. He said he believed the pressures of the economy are creating a strain on families in the community.
Mr. McClelland said he came up with the idea while driving, believing partnering with a premier hospital would be a good fit for the program.
"I was just thinking what can we do to improve DARE, to be more meaningful," he said.
He said themes for television shows have long revolved around law enforcement and medical themes. "We're trying to capture that," Mr. McClelland said.
He said he was confident the new format would be a success.
Mr. McClelland received an award from the Association of Ohio as the 2011 Law Enforcement Executive of the Year. The award is presented to a law enforcement executive who demonstrates leadership and high moral standards for himself and others. The award recipient must also have shown dedication and support for the DARE program by going above and beyond what is normally expected in the position.
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