West Virginia Chamber Annual Meeting & Business Summit held at The Greebrier Resort had a panel discussing about the opioid crisis in West Virginia. Panel member were, Dr. Cynthnia Persily, Highland Hospital, Susan Coyer, Southern West Virginia Comprehensive Treatment Center, Beth Walker, WVU Medicine and moderated by Fred Earley, Highmark West Virginia.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Opioid drugs have caused many challenges for West Virginia’s workforce. Some employers are forced to fire employees who abuse drugs on the job. Other employers struggle to fill open positions due to failed drug screenings before hiring.
At the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Business Summit Wednesday at The Greenbrier, a room full of employers gathered to hear ideas from officials on how to handle these challenges.
“It’s never easy,” said Dr. Cynthia Persily with Highmark West Virginia. “We get tripped up sometimes even as treatment professionals.”
She said up to 40 percent of people in the U.S. will experience mental health or substance use disorders, most of which occur during adolescence or young adulthood…