Nation’s largest meeting addressing the opioid and addiction crisis brings more than 3,000 federal, state, and local stakeholders together for four days focused on change and practical solutions. President Joe Biden to share recorded remarks today.

ATLANTA (April 19, 2022) — The Rx and Illicit Drug Summit named Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) President and CEO Tim Robinson the recipient of the 2022 Congressman Hal Rogers Beacon of Hope Award.

Robinson was recognized for his ongoing efforts to serve individuals and families impacted by the opioid and addiction crisis through ARC, which operates more than 30 programs in 21 Kentucky counties. ARC’s nationally recognized Crisis to Career model combines treatment with job training to prepare clients for life and success after ARC. The award is named for U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), who founded Operation UNITE in 2003, and is awarded annually at the Rx Summit to a changemaker working to address the addiction crisis and inspiring others to do the same.

“It is a tremendous honor and privilege to receive the 2022 Congressman Hal Rogers Beacon of Hope Award,” said Robinson. “Since founding ARC and opening the doors to our first treatment center 12 years ago, I have made it my personal mission to serve and support those in our communities who have been impacted by addiction. I am thankful to Congressman Hal Rogers, Operation UNITE, the Rx Summit and the countless other leaders who have inspired our movement and helped to pave the way.”

“It is an honor to present Tim Robinson with the Beacon of Hope Award,” Rogers said. “He turned his personal recovery journey into a network of hope for others battling addiction, bringing the mission of this summit full circle. So far, he has helped more than 41,000 individuals battling substance use disorder through Addiction Recovery Care, employing some of those graduates at ARC to continue helping others, and driving more than 900,000 miles to transport folks to a treatment facility last year when they had no other way. He is truly providing a beacon of hope when it is needed the most.”

Founded in 2012, the Rx Summit is an annual gathering of professionals from “federal to family,” including public health officials, business executives, academia, treatment providers, advocates, law enforcement, family members, and local, state, and federal agencies working to find solutions that address the drug misuse epidemic. The 2022 event is the first time since 2019 that stakeholders met in person, after two years of virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our mission remains the same, to turn this epidemic around, to save lives, and to build hope for so many pursuing recovery,” said Nancy Hale, CEO of Operation UNITE, the educational advisor for Rx Summit. “That is what we are doing here this week, reconnecting with each other, learning from each other, and being reminded that there is hope.”

With more than 3,000 in attendance, the Rx Summit is the largest national collaboration of its kind and facilitates important connections to address this public health emergency. The Rx Summit focuses on prevention, treatment, and recovery, offering more than 90 sessions on nine educational tracks (advocacy, clinical, illicit drugs, prevention-overdose, prevention-primary, public safety, technology, trending topics, and treatment and recovery).


National Focus

Deaths due to drug overdose have topped 1 million for the first time since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began collecting data on the problem more than two decades ago. More than 101,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in June 2021, the largest number of drug overdoses for a 12-month period ever recorded.

President Joe Biden — whose FY2023 budget requests include $4.25 billion for drug policy efforts to fund research, prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery support services, and interdiction efforts to reduce the availability of illicit drugs in the U.S. — will share pre-recorded remarks during the 9 a.m. plenary session today. It is the fourth time a sitting U.S. president will address the Rx Summit during his term. Former presidential speakers have included President Biden in 2021, Donald J. Trump in 2019, and Barack Obama in 2016. Former President Bill Clinton addressed attendees in 2018.

“As we gather this week, we all know our communities are suffering,” said Doug Edwards, vice president, HMP Global, who directs the company’s Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Learning Network. “At the Rx Summit we come together to share what’s working, the importance of collaboration, and the spirit of recovery.”

At 4 p.m., there will be a media round table discussion with Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the Rx Summit Press Room, followed by the evening plenary session at 6 p.m. with Volkow, Dr. Lawrence Tabak, Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Rebecca G. Baker, Director of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative.

For the full agenda, registration, and more information, visit rx-summit.com.

ABOUT HMP GLOBAL

HMP Global is the force behind Healthcare Made Practical — and is an omnichannel leader in healthcare content, events, and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events — in person and online via its proprietary VRTX virtual platform — and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global healthcare community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include the HMP Global Learning Network, healthcare's most comprehensive source for news and information; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; the Evolution of Psychotherapy, the world’s largest independent educational event for mental health professionals; the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC), the leading, global gathering for interdisciplinary cardiovascular specialists; EMS World Expo, North America's largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com.