Billion Pill Pledge Initiative Brings Opioid Settlement Dollars to Craighead, Baxter, Phillips and Pope Counties

The Billion Pill Pledge program, powered by Goldfinch Health, will deploy evidence-based opioid minimizing resources to hospitals and providers serving Craighead, Baxter, Phillips, and Pope Counties.

Arkansas currently faces a critical public health challenge as it ranks as the highest opioid-prescribing state in the nation. Prescription opioids continue to fuel the rates of new addiction with one recent study finding 75% of illegal opioid use was started with prescription pills.  Surgery has historically served as a leading gateway to initial opioid use and leftover pills with 6-10% of patients who weren’t taking an opioid become persistent users following a surgical procedure.

Through this funding, participating hospitals and providers in the region will implement industry-leading protocols designed to better manage surgery-related pain and improve surgery outcomes while minimizing the introduction of large quantities of unnecessary opioids into the community.

“The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership–in partnership with Goldfinch Health’s Billion Pill Pledge program–intends to create a new, futuristic path in Arkansas cities and counties by an innovative way encouraging prevention, to prevent opioid addiction while treating pain better. The Billion Pill Pledge is not about restricting prescriptions. It is a pilot program aimed at providing more effective, safer options,” said Director Kirk Lane, Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership. “Our hope is that the Billion Pill Pledge program will be able to demonstrate a change in opioid at-risk communities who are being harmed by the opioid epidemic. We believe this program will bring about change by focusing on evidence-based, alternative pain management, to change the culture of what it has been for too long that was the root cause of the epidemic.”

Over the next two years, Goldfinch Health will partner with hospitals in Craighead, Baxter, Phillips, and Pope Counties. The initiative provides a multi-pronged approach to surgical recovery including:

• Helping hospitals to adopt enhanced surgical pathways that minimize opioid use while improving recovery.
• Educating and assisting healthcare professionals in the implementation of updated pain management and opioid prescribing protocols.
• Providing options for safe disposal of leftover opioids.

In addition, through the program patients will have access to remote Nurse Navigators, who provide education, advocacy and support in the days before and after procedures. Patients will also receive a “Prepared for Surgery” tool kit featuring items key to optimizing the surgical experience and reducing opioid risks for patients, families, and communities.

This project comes with the support from Kevin Litty, Baxter County Judge; Hillrey Adams, Mayor of Mountain Home; Marvin Day, Craighead County Judge; Harold Copenhaver, Mayor of Jonesboro; Clark Hall, Phillips County Judge; Don Etherly, Mayor of Helena; Ben Cross, Pope County Judge; Fred Teague, Mayor of Russellville.

Specific participating hospitals will be announced in the coming weeks.

If you or someone you know would like support in navigating an opioid-minimizing surgery, please contact Goldfinch Health utilizing the following website: https://goldfinchhealth.com/contact-us.

ABOUT GOLDFINCH HEALTH: Goldfinch Health optimizes the surgery and recovery experience for patients, employers, and communities while reducing the risk of opioid addiction. Through its Billion Pill Pledge, the company is on a mission to eliminate one billion unnecessary leftover opioid pills following surgical procedures. By providing access to Enhanced Surgical Pathways and expert nurse guidance, Goldfinch delivers safer patient experiences, minimized opioid exposure, and significant healthcare cost savings. To learn more, visit www.goldfinchhealth.com.

ABOUT THE ARKANSAS OPIOID RECOVERY PARTNERSHIP: The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP), an initiative of the Association of Arkansas Counties and the Arkansas Municipal League, represents a network of organizations committed to providing support for Arkansans in prevention, treatment and recovery, neighbors suffering from a substance misuse disorder, and families who have experienced loss due to the opioid epidemic. The Partnership oversees the strategic disbursement of opioid settlement dollars at the city and county levels. Learn more at: www.arorp.org.