Order to get confirmed. You at this point, we will leave this program. Watch the rest on cspan dot org. Drug policy experts are getting ready to give an update on the rise of fentanyl Overdose Deaths, especially among minorities. They are testifying before members of the Senate Health committee. You are watching live coverage, here on cspan three. Good morning, so that health education, labor, and health will please come to order. Today we are having a hearing on the fentanyl crisis that is decimating our communities. I will have an Opening Statement followed by senator cassidy, and then we will introduce our witnesses. After they gave their testimony, senators will each have five minutes for a round of questions. Again, while we are unable to have this hearing fully open to the public, live video is available on the Senate Health committee. If you need of accommodations please reach out to the committee at the office of congressional accessibility services. Last week in Washington Sta
Year and i always try to encourage people at home to send the soldier something and i wondered what happened to them when they went home. You know, which leads me to i just want your opinion real quick. The idea of when you were getting a guard and reserve go home. Active duty go back to a base as opposed to an opportunity for consultation for the guard and reserve of what you doing when you go home . Web activity are you engaging in because to me the worst week was the first week home when i did nothing and then i went back and saw patients again. So do you think that would be beneficial . You are not coming home to praise and theres not a lot of jobs. I think i may have missed the question but what we try to do in the community is to generate lots of opportunities and one of the key features of opportunities is, involves kinship, support relationships, community. We look at individuals in terms of their wellbeing and in order to have wellbeing yeah in need emotional health. You need
Thank you very much. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I cant thank you enough for being here today, the sacrifices that you have made. I pray that the sacrifices that you and your entire family made will make us a better nation at the end of the day. I think most that sign up to serve have that intention, that they will make this a better nation at the end of the day. I am a physician and also a reservist and i served in iraq for a year. That has led me to want to be here today. One of the things i know as a doctor and im sure dr. Somers you can relate, that when you have patients, regardless of their problems, there is a level of anxiety that, because they have something wrong, whether its muscular, skeletal or mental, it doesnt matter. Something is wrong and there is anxiety. It makes it more difficult and heightens the anxiety when you have all these administrative problems. I know you started to deal with that in private practice. More so maybe than when you first started. The prescription
Warrior program where they have that, the actual battalion where when somebodys got a problem, they go into that system there. I just want to get your feelings. Maybe im going down the wrong road because i think they need somebody that has a problem, they need an ombudsman, somebody thats going to look out for their interests. That if they have a particular hospital, that they can go to the administrator. They can go to anybody and say, hey, wait a minute. This is an immediate situation. This is general quarters and we need to have a meeting right now or somebody is going to die on your watch. Can you comment a little bit more on that . Its pretty much what you were talking about, buddytobuddy, the same things over and over and over again, but to cut through the red tape right then and there with individuals that understand severity of the problem. Yes, sir. This is a crucial element is to have somebody to come alongside of these severely injured, cut through that red tape and get trea
Part of what i do through the ministry im in is providing support groups through the chaplains channels. So ideal with this very closely on both sides. Medication is no longer being used as a tool to subdue the symptoms while we work on the deeper issues. No. What does the va do . The va specifically utilizes medication to control it and keep them, suppress the symptoms without working on the deeper issues. Thank you. Please. Brian was never put on any medication. Only for his back when he had that problem. Okay. Yes. Clay was on quite a bit of medication. As i said, he felt like a guinea pig, constantly being begin something different. Do you think they chose medications in lieu of therapy . Sure. Oneonone therapy . Yes. The only oneonone therapy that he spoke of that seemed to be effective at a certain point in l. A. He went to a vet center and had a counselor there that he really liked and felt he finally found somebody he to talk with. Okay. From Daniels Point of view, i think part