The Coleman Institute Blog

I had a conversation with my 30-year-old daughter the other evening. I said some things that she thought were entertaining and she decided she needed to start a reverse baby-book for me, writing down things I say that she thinks are funny. (When they were little, I did a good job of capturing on paper their quips and questions and witty musings. One of their favorite things to do on visits now is to re-read these vignettes.)

I had such a profound feeling of gratitude that we could be so present with each other, and enjoy each other's company. Connection for humans - and other species - is vital.

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Sometimes I can go several months between seeing a patient because he or she is on another provider’s schedule. It’s one of the nice things about our office – that all of the providers can get to know each other’s patients.

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of following up with two wonderful men who both completed alcohol detoxes at the Coleman Institute for Addiction Medicine just over a year ago.

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Many of us have been, or are continuing to be, affected by the opioid epidemic in some way. Whether you’ve gone through struggles with addiction yourself, or are dealing with the addiction of a family member or friend, you’re certainly not alone. The prevalence of the opioid crisis in the United States won’t be diminished without raising awareness and promoting understanding.

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Over eleven years ago I answered an ad in the paper for a job as a Family Nurse Practitioner. (Yes, we actually still used the newspapers and looked in the classifieds for jobs at that time.)

The office was an easy commute (check).

I liked the staff and the ambience of the office (check).

The schedule and benefits met my needs (check, check).

It looked like the perfect job, and I appeared to be a good fit, based on how nicely the interview was going.

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Our Coleman Institute staff regularly meets to discuss the kinds of things medical offices must discuss. Occasionally at these meetings we look at our website and ask ourselves if it is communicating what we are truly about. It is interesting to note how many of the people who choose an opioid detox from Dilaudid^®, Percocet^® and other forms of oxycodone, Vicodin^® and other forms of hydrocodone, fentanyl (prescribed or bought on the streets), heroin, methadone, or variations on buprenorphine—have been referred to us by their friends and family members. (more…)