Radford joins state nursing association to host opioid abuse conference

Radford University will be a satellite site for a statewide nursing conference on the public health crisis of opioid and heroin abuse.

Hosted by the Virginia Nurses Association (VNA), the Virginia 2018 Spring conference, titled Nursing’s Role in Addressing the Opioid Epidemic, will focus on tools nurses need to prevent, treat and manage opioid addiction.The conference will be livestreamed from Richmond in its entirety on April 20 to Cook 107 and will feature welcoming remarks by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. 

The conference keynote speaker will be Dr. David E. Brown, director of the Virginia Department of Health Professions, who along with Gov. Northam, will review Virginia’s actions toward stemming the public health emergency that affected 12.5 million Americans in 2015, according to the Federal Department of Health and Human Services.

The program will feature a program of speakers and panel presentations about topics such as chronic pain management, alternative pain management strategies and the community health implications of naloxone’s availability at local pharmacies.

Radford University’s Megan Hebdon, assistant professor of nursing, will be one of four nursing educators to participate in a panel presentation about the nurse's role in addressing the crisis. 


“The School of Nursing (SON) is glad to partner with the VNA to provide nurses with the resources they need to combat this public health scourge and strengthen our communities,” said SON Director Tony Ramsey. “The value of the conference to nurses in western and southwest Virginia will be increased by the convenience of not having to travel so far to participate.”

The conference is oriented toward nurses at all levels of practice. The registration cost – $125 for VNA members and $150 for nonmembers – for the Radford satellite location will include lunch and six continuing education credits. For more information, click here.



Mar 14, 2018
Don Bowman
(540) 831-5182
dbowman@radford.edu