The Inland Empire Opioid Crisis Coalition is a learning and action network of professionals, institutions, county agencies, and community members. Together, members reduce opioid use and opioid-related deaths in California’s Riverside County and San Bernardino County.
Mission & Values
The Inland Empire Opioid Crisis Coalition (IEOCC) creates effective community collaborations between member organizations and individuals who need help with pain management and opioid use disorders. The coalition employs the values and techniques of harm reduction and integrated care.
The IEOCC’s Steering Committee Officers:
•County Co-Chair: Rhyan Miller, Deputy Director Integrated Programs; Riverside University Health Systems (Behavioral Health)
•Physician Co-Chair: Dr. Michael Sequeira, Public Health Officer; San Bernardino County Department of Public Health
•Vice Chair: Melissa Bucarey, Community Services Program Coordinator; Providence St. Mary Medical Center
•Secretary: Wendy Martinez, Substance Use Navigator; Loma Linda University Medical Center
Vision
TO REDUCE OPIOID USE AND OPIOID RELATED DEATHS IN THE INLAND EMPIRE.
Story of the IEOCC
Help us celebrate the accomplishments of the IEOCC by reading and sharing this Story of the IEOCC report!
This document was created to recognize the accomplishments and evolution of the IEOCC, from its initial formation as a medical task force in 2015 to its current state as a robust, multidisciplinary and community-level effort. Read about the IEOCC's achievements and key partners in its work to meet the opioid crisis on the many battlefronts that exist, from emergency overdose prevention, to facing and fighting stigma against people who use opioids and other drugs.
We make a difference
"All members of IEOCC share one goal: reducing the negative impact of the opioid crisis in the region by using a multi-pronged approach. Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is improving access to effective treatment including Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). IEOCC has provided us with important resources and facilitated collaboration with other stakeholders in the region which have proven to be invaluable to our efforts."
— Carol Lee, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine; Vice Chair, Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director
Community Action
Some of the IEOCC’s activities and resources:
Four workgroups for coalition members to collaborate.
Free town hall-style meetings for providers and other professionals on prescribing guidelines, substance use disorder treatment options, and other resources and best practices.
A speakers bureau of local leaders and experts in opioids, substance abuse treatment and other crisis-related topics.
Monthly newsletter of progress reports on local efforts and resources Sign up by entering your name and email below.
A referral network among IEOCC-member organizations, to connect both health care professionals and their patients and clients, between hospitals and emergency departments to MAT and other care in the community.
IEOCC will ensure the following changes happen in their communities:
Education for medical providers and community members on the risks of opioids, and options for opioid use disorder treatment and for pain management
Safer prescribing practices for opioid medications, with an overall decrease in the level of opioid prescriptions
Increased use of medication-assisted addiction treatment (MAT), as part of a comprehensive system of integrated behavioral health care
Increased availability and use of the overdose reversal drug naloxone
Measurement and monitoring of progress toward these goals
We take action
“The Inland Empire Opioid Crisis Coalition came together to take action. I’m so proud to work with this dedicated group of medical professionals and community members who have volunteered to help reduce the stigma associated with opioid dependence and advocate for safe prescribing practices.”
- Tony Godlewski, PharmD, Kaiser Permanente Area Pharmacy Director, San Bernardino County
Leadership
On behalf of both Inland Empire counties, IEOCC operations and strategy are led by two county government departments in San Bernardino County: the Department of Behavioral Health and the Department of Public Health.
The IEOCC Executive Steering Committee is made up of the leaders of our four Workgroups and other representatives of the most active member-organizations.
Access to Treatment
Pharmacy Harm Reduction
Public Agency and Prevention
Methamphetamine Intervention Pilot
Member Organizations
Acadia Health, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Community Health Association Inland Southern Region, Community Hospital of San Bernardino, Eisenhower Health, Hospital Association of Southern California, Inland Empire Health Plan, Inland Behavioral and Health Services, Inc., Inland Empire Harm Reduction, Kaiser Permanente, Loma Linda University Health System, Molina Healthcare, Morongo Health District, Manifest MedEx, REACH OUT, Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside University Health System (RUHS), RUHS – Behavioral Health, RUHS – Public Health, San Bernardino Medical Society, San Bernardino Department of Behavioral Health, San Bernardino Department of Public Health, Riverside County Medical Association, Tri-County Dental Association, Vituity/CEP America, and more local providers.
The IEOCC is funded through the generous support of the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP).
Member of the COPN
The IEOCC participates in the California Opioid Prevention Network (COPN) and the COPN Accelerator program. To learn more about COPN click here.