Geisinger, national health care leaders using innovative technology to battle nationwide opioid epidemic

DANVILLE, Pa. – Geisinger is joining other national health care leaders to develop innovative ways that technology and data can be used to address the nationwide opioid epidemic. The latest innovations will be the subject of an Opioid Symposium and Code-a-Thon hosted by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in Washington, D.C. The symposium will be held on December 6-7.

A Geisinger post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse, who lost her 23-year-old daughter to heroin addiction, will also speak at the event to share her powerful personal story.

Bridget Farrell’s daughter Delaney died from an overdose this past summer. Before her death, Delaney wrote an emotional poem about her addiction. Bridget decided to include the poem in her daughter’s obituary which received attention all over the country. “I want people to understand the struggle of Delaney and our family,” said Bridget. “Most importantly, I want them to see who she was. This beautiful, vibrant girl.”

Since 2014, Geisinger has reduced opioid prescriptions in emergency departments, physician offices and community practice clinics by almost half, from an average of 60,000 prescriptions per month to 31,000. The dramatic decrease in prescribing opioids is the result of the health system’s proactive team approach to managing chronic pain and using several different treatment options to address patients who are addicted to opioids or may be at-risk for addiction. 

“At Geisinger, we wage the battle on multiple fronts every day,” said Dr. David T. Feinberg, M.D., Geisinger President and CEO. “We’ve worked to combat this epidemic for many years, and we’ll continue to study, innovate and share our results with other communities until we can all declare victory over this crisis.”

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country.  Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.