Barclay Berdan (l to r), Dr. Paul Hain, David Tesmer and Kristin Jenkins.

The North Texas Commission hosted “Opioids: The Silent Epidemic” today at the Courtyard and TownPlace Suites in Grapevine. The luncheon event attracted more than 100 attendees and was part of the Commission’s series “To the Point, The Presidents.”

Kristin Jenkins, president of the DFW Hospital Council Foundation, introduced the panelists including David Tesmer, senior vice president at Texas Health Resources, Barclay Berdan, CEO of Texas Health Resources and Dr. Paul Hain, North Texas market president of Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The event included an informational handout, “Prescription Opioids: What you Need to Know,” detailing the serious risks of addiction when opioids are prescribed to patients following surgery or injury. As noted during the meeting, it is estimated as many as 1 in 4 patients receiving prescription opioids long term in primary care struggle with addiction.

The Presenting Sponsor was Fidelity Investments, with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and the Dallas Business Journal serving as Premium Sponsors.