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The U.S. Attorney’s Northeast Ohio Heroin and Opioid Task Force has received the U.S. Attorney General’s Award, the most prestigious award within the Department of Justice, for fighting the scourge of opioid addiction in Greater Cleveland. Jason Jerry, M.D., a specialist in addiction and recovery at Cleveland Clinic, was one of several people recognized for his outstanding work on the Task Force.
Dr. Jerry has been involved with the Task Force since its formation – having been involved in the planning and implementation of the 2013 Heroin Summit that attracted over 700 people to the Intercontinental Hotel and served as the starting point for the work of the Task Force. He has since served as the chairman of the Treatment Subcommittee of the Task Force.
“It is great to see the members of the Heroin and Opioid Task Force be recognized for all of the hard work that has been devoted to this effort. We still have a long way to go but the work that has been done thus far is important and is being replicated in other cities across the country. We understand that the model of our task force is being called ‘The Cleveland Model’,” Dr. Jerry said.
The task force will receive the U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Community Partnerships for Public Safety. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in the development and support of community partnerships designed to address public safety within a community. The award recognizes the significant contributions of citizens and organizations that have assisted the department in the accomplishment of these programs.
The U.S. Attorney’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force was established in 2013 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio to address the region’s expanding epidemic. The group brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including law enforcement, the medical community, people in recovery, treatment professionals, judges, public health professionals, educators and others. It focuses on solutions from four perspectives: law enforcement; education and prevention; healthcare policy; and treatment.
Members of the task force include Cleveland Clinic, the ADAMHS Board, the Cleveland Division of Police, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, the DEA, the FBI, MetroHealth Medical Center, the Ohio Attorney General, the Ohio State Medical Board, Orca House, the Ohio State Pharmacy Board, University Hospitals, WKYC Channel 3 and others.
The Attorney General’s Award Ceremony will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2016, at 1:30 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20006.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 82,600 employees worldwide are more than 5,786 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,700 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,728-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 280 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2024, there were 15.7 million outpatient encounters, 333,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 320,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 112 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at x.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources are available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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