Dr. Robert Roose to Speak on Opiate Addiction, Treatment
HOLYOKE — In recognition of National Recovery Month, Dr. Robert Roose, chief medical officer of Addiction Services for the Sisters of Providence Health System, will deliver the keynote presentation at the Human Service Forum Breakfast Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
Roose’s presentation, titled “Opiate Addiction: With Crisis Comes Opportunity,” will outline some of the reasons for the local community’s dramatic increase in the misuse of and dependence on opiates, including prescription painkillers and heroin. He will also explain what is known about the nature of addiction and its treatments, discuss the impact on the community, and provide information about ways to collectively work to address the issue.
The Human Service Forum Breakfast Meeting is slated for 8 to 9:45 a.m. at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Roose’s presentation is set to begin at 8:45 a.m.
Roose directs and supervises addiction treatment for patients along the SPHS continuum of care. Previously, he served at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and at the Melrose Wellness Center. The New York State Department of Health’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services named Roose the 2012 Addiction Medicine Physician of the Year. He earned his doctor of medicine and master’s in public health degrees simultaneously at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree in molecular physiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Human Service Forum was founded in 1986 as an association of nonprofit and public agencies as well as individuals providing human services in the Pioneer Valley. The forum was envisioned by its founders to be a vehicle for communicating the important contributions of human services to quality of life in Pioneer Valley communities and for members to network, address problems of mutual concern, and discuss major trends and changes impacting human services.
The cost to attend the event is $25 for members of the Human Service Forum, and $35 for non-members. Register online at www.humanserviceforum.com.
