Haley Moore, a NAU master’s student and emergency medical technician, gained valuable experience treating patients with substance use disorder at a Resource Healthcare addiction clinic in Phoenix. She realized the importance of considering the resources and challenges faced by underserved populations when providing care. NAU received a grant to provide substance use disorder training for physician assistant students and launch Project ECHO, a virtual learning series to educate healthcare providers statewide.
Substance use disorder disproportionately affects Native Americans and rural communities in Arizona. Jacob Gubler, the grant’s principal investigator, emphasized the importance of integrating substance use disorder treatment into healthcare education to address the opioid crisis and other substance abuse issues. The training program includes clinical rotations to prepare students for treating patients with alcohol, illicit drug use, and prescription drug abuse.
Project ECHO aims to provide healthcare providers with the knowledge and tools necessary to address complex patient needs in all communities. Gubler stressed that substance use disorder training is essential for all healthcare workers, regardless of their specialty. The initiative highlights the importance of understanding and addressing substance use disorder in healthcare practice.
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