Your weekly briefing about what’s happening in health care: opioid legislation, depression treatment, special needs, and child welfare.

  • Bill signing: Today, Gov. Gina Raimondo signs a suite of bills designed to combat the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic in Rhode Island. The bills include a measure requiring hospital emergency departments to provide overdose patients with information and a connection with treatment, a requirement that prescribers sign up to use the state’s online prescription monitoring database, and a law that requires insurers to cover the overdose rescue drug naloxone (or Narcan). The signing comes on the heels of the unveiling of a new web site full of addiction resources, preventoverdoseri.org.  
  • Up for a vote: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is hopeful the Senate will pass a major addiction-fighting bill he co-authored, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. A vote in the Senate is expected soon. The legislation would provide more funding for addiction treatment, among other measures. It’s got the support of Rhode Island’s entire congressional delegation.
  • Depression treatment: Brown University professor and psychiatrist Peter Kramer has entered the spotlight again with a follow up to his popular 1997 book “Listening to Prozac.” He revisits the topic with new research and experience about depression and its treatment in “Ordinarily Well: The Case for Antidepressants.”
  • Autism and special needs: This Friday, from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, the Rhode Island Parent Information Network hosts its annual “Partnerships Conference: Resource Fair” for parents and caregivers of children with special health needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder. Here’s their description of the event:

“Family ​Voices ​at ​the ​RI ​Parent ​Information ​Network ​is ​hosting ​our ​10th ​Annual ​Partnerships ​Conference: ​Resource ​Fair. ​ ​This ​event ​is ​geared ​towards ​families ​with ​children ​with ​special ​health ​care ​needs ​from ​birth ​to ​young ​adults ​and ​the ​professionals ​serving ​them. ​ ​There ​will ​be ​50 ​exhibitors ​available ​throughout ​the ​day ​providing ​information ​and ​resources. ​ ​We ​are ​going ​to ​have ​numerous ​family ​friendly ​activities ​for ​families ​to ​engage ​in, ​such ​as ​movement ​activities, ​sensory ​activities ​and ​storytelling. ​ ​The ​211 ​RV ​and ​Local ​EMS ​services ​will ​be ​available ​outside ​in ​the ​parking ​lot. ​ ​Come ​for ​a ​little ​while ​or ​stay ​all ​day!”

  • Child welfare: Yours truly hosted a one-hour special about child welfare in the Ocean State on RIPBS recently. It’s all about how to get involved in fostering a child, preventing child abuse and neglect, and the changes afoot at the Dept. of Children, Youth, and Families. Watch it here.