“AHEC is honored to be part of this journey and collaboration with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe,” Executive Director April Osburn said. As part of their commitment to health care education in the community, AHEC joined the opioid summit in 2019. The 2023 event was hosted by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and the Central and Western Area Health Education Center. Previous conferences have focused on education and knowledge-building, action steps for new and innovative methods of community-based treatment, development of new access points, and community participation in native healing therapies. Now a statewide annual event, the Tribal Opioid Summit brings together addiction and recovery specialists, health care professionals, public health officials, victim service providers, law enforcement and court personnel, therapists, educators and students. Together with federal and state partners, and support from Central Michigan University, they organized and hosted the first Tribal Opioid Summit to educate legal, medical and public health providers who battle this crisis on the front lines. Efforts began in 2018 when the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe took it upon themselves to create a platform for change. As the country faces a devastating opioid epidemic, community leaders in the Great Lakes Bay Region are taking action.
