RFU Presented 2022 Harm Reduction Award by the GPF Foundation
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The GPF Foundation recently recognized RFU with the 2022 Harm Reduction Award for the university's support of the foundation’s medical and educational initiatives to save lives that otherwise might be lost due to recreational drug use.
Accepting the award at the foundation’s fifth annual “An Evening of Discovery” in October was RFU President and CEO Wendy Rheault, PT, PhD, FASAHP, FNAP, DipACLM. In presenting the award, the 2021 recipient, Jerrold Leikin, MD '80, said the award recognizes “the truly remarkable partnership between RFU and the GPF Foundation, and the extensive efforts of RFU students, faculty, staff and administration to further our mission to save lives through education by changing the practice of medicine in Lake County, and really across the globe.”
Shortly after its founding in 2018, the Foundation began a partnership with RFU to work together on a fellowship program for students, research studies, training modules for medical professionals (both simulated and online), community outreach, articles for professional journals, and more.
“It’s been an honor for our university to partner with the GPF Foundation,” Dr. Rheault said. “Coordinated team efforts like ours lead to healthier communities and better connections between patients and providers in life-or-death situations like psychosis and overdoses.”
The university is also teaming with local health systems, elected officials and non-profits to combat a rise in opioid and polysubstance abuse.
RFU and the Foundation recently collaborated on an educational tool that launched on the Full Code Medical Simulation online training platform in 2022. The case, developed by RFU faculty Dr. James Carlson, vice president for interprofessional education and simulation, and Dr. Robin Dyer, helps front-line medical providers more accurately diagnose and effectively treat patients experiencing adverse effects of psychostimulant use. To date, the Full Code case has been successfully completed more than 40,000 times by medical students, ER physicians and other medical personnel worldwide.
ABOUT GPF
The GPF Foundation works to save lives by supporting education, appropriate treatment and overall awareness of the dangers related to recreational drug use. Learn more at GPFFoundation.org.