The Tampa Bay area and Florida has had a crisis with people addicted to opioids, many starting innocently as a post-surgery prescription, with hundreds dying from opioid overdoses the last few years. A new think tank, the Centers for Analgesic Transformation, is working to bring systematic solutions to the opioid crisis in all sectors.
C4AT as the Center is known was created earlier in 2018 from a partnership with among several organizations with expertise in health fields to work on strategic solutions to the issue of opioid addiction. The mission of Centers for Analgesic Transformation is to ensure that premiere thought leadership will be distributed through technologies and tools to all stakeholders ensuring best practices and leading the charge for positive outcomes.
The Center will have a national scope but chose Tampa as its first office location. The grand opening of the Tampa Center for Analgesic Transformation was held in October of 2018. The Center was co-founded by Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Devanand Mangar, and The South Florida Accelerator.
“Centers for Analgesic Transformation (C4AT) is proud to have our first office in Tampa Bay," said Dr. Simi Ranajee, CEO of C4AT. "Tampa Bay has the perfect mix of population, health, and business. The approximately 50 hospitals, dozens of clinics, ambulatory care centers and top-rated health care facilities are the initial attraction. The additional pillars of education, culture, information technology,
and corporations provided further validation. Tampa is the perfect flagship location as it is a collaborative, caring city with individuals and companies who truly want to impact this opioid epidemic.“
Dr. Ranajee is currently making presentations to organizations throughout the region on the Center's goals. Other plans in the works including a national awareness campaign about alternatives to opioids, including presenting the latest research to health care professionals.
The opioid crisis, with overdose deaths and associated crime, has received the attention of local governments. The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners recently rolled out a plan from its Opioid Task Force to address the crisis on a deeper level than they have in the past. Earlier in 2018, Hillsborough County announced a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers for deceptive trade practices.
The opioid crisis has been a serious issue with hundreds of deaths in the Tampa Bay area over the last several years, the Centers for Analgesic Transformation is a welcome addition to our community to work on strategic solutions to the issue.
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