Story by Tamaria L. Kulemeka

The opioid and heroin epidemic is crippling communities across the nation, leaving health officials and providers, coroners, law enforcement and churches scrambling to respond to and combat this widespread crisis.

Bonnie Franckowiak, professor and coordinator of the Master of Science Nursing Program at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md., says, “The use of opioids in this country is staggering. It’s huge, and it’s growing all the time; we don’t seem to have a handle on it at all,” she says. “In 2012, 259 million prescriptions were written for opioids, which is enough to give every American adult their own pill box.”

Story by Elizabeth Long

Terry Burns has been named president of Kettering Medical Center and Executive Vice president of Kettering Adventist HealthCare effective November 1, 2017. He replaces Jarrod McNaughton, who has stepped down for personal reasons.

Burns has held executive roles in the Network since 2001, most recently as the chief financial officer of Kettering Medical Center and executive vice president of Kettering Adventist HealthCare, since November, 2015.

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

Minnie McNeil, longtime Allegheny East Conference (AEC) and Columbia Union Conference Adventist Community Services (ACS)/Disaster Response director, recently retired.

Story by Kimberly Luste Maran, NAD Communication, Photos by Pieter Damsteegt, NAD Communication

Editorial by Patricia Monteiro

We live in a world that seems to spin much faster than we want it to, with each day accelerating a little more. We feel overwhelmed, tired and often discouraged because we want to produce and accomplish more goals than we did the day before. Months and years go by, leaving us feeling defeated.