A Unified Front: How Collaboration is Driving a New Era of Opioid Stewardship in Jacksonville

The challenge of the national opioid crisis requires constant innovation and a deep commitment to patient-centered care. For individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) who are admitted at UF Health Jacksonville, the hospital stay represents a crucial moment to initiate comprehensive care that can significantly impact their recovery journey. Recognizing this, our organization has launched a new Buprenorphine-naloxone order set, a powerful tool designed to make starting treatment for OUD safer, simpler, and more accessible than ever before.

Launched across UF Health’s Downtown and North campuses in April 2025, the Buprenorphine-naloxone Induction for OUD order set offers crucial flexibility for different patient needs, with protocols for those already in withdrawal and for those who may still be on other opioids for pain management. It removes previous barriers to care by allowing any physician service to initiate this treatment, which can be started in any patient care area. These features are specifically designed to empower any clinical team to seize that critical window of opportunity during a hospital stay, ensuring treatment can begin without delay.

Beyond the initial medical intervention, the order set is designed to support the entire patient journey toward recovery. It includes built-in clinical guidance that helps our care teams tailor the treatment to each patient's unique situation, ensuring a safer and more effective process. A critical component of this holistic approach is the pre-selected consult for a Peer Recovery Specialist through Project Save Lives. This ensures that from the very beginning, patients are connected to individuals with lived experience who can provide support and a vital link to community resources, helping to build a bridge to long-term recovery after they leave the hospital.

This initiative, supported by the Center for Convening Transformative Care, exemplifies our collaborative approach to tackling complex health challenges. The CCTC is actively tracking the usage and outcomes of this new order set as part of our commitment to evidence-based practice. Our continued participation on the committee of the Pain and Opioid Stewardship Taskforce (POST) demonstrates our work in building an integrated network of care improvement; through POST, we're advancing several complementary initiatives, including the development of a new Sickle Cell Order Set to standardize care for patients with complex pain challenges and our work with the Pain Assessment and Management Initiative (PAMI), which offers pain coaching programs that educate patients on alternatives to pharmaceutical interventions. These internal initiatives are bolstered by our external collaborations, namely JFRD's CORE, so that patients have access to the help they need at every step of their care. Through aligning these key components of OUD treatment, the CCTC advances its mission to convene and catalyze transformative care across our organization and community.

Building a New Kind of Bridge in "The City of Bridges"

The spirit of "Convening Transformative Care" extends far beyond the walls of UF Health Jacksonville. Sometimes, all it takes is one person recognizing a shared mission to spark a powerful new partnership.

That’s exactly what happened when Michael, CCTC’s Data Management Analyst, became acquainted with two incredible community resources: Rebel Recovery Jacksonville (Rebel Jax) and Sulzbacher’s Healthmobile, better known as "The Bus."

Rebel Jax provides a crucial, barrier-free safe space for people who use drugs or are at risk of HIV/AIDS, offering peer support and a place to rest and recharge. In a similar vein, The Bus, a mobile unit with two private exam rooms, brings dignified medical care and case management from Sulzbacher and the Mental Health Resource Center directly to people experiencing homelessness.

Seeing a perfect match, Michael sent an email to connect them.

Soon after, the teams met. Minutes into the conversation, they were already trading vital information and planning for The Bus to visit Rebel Jax. The impact was immediate. Right after the meeting, the Healthmobile team was introduced to a Rebel Jax participant and began signing them up for services on the spot. A conversation turned into tangible action in a matter of moments.

This is what our mission is all about: building bridges that lead to transformative care. Whether we are connecting programs within our own health system or fostering collaboration between vital community organizations, we are proud to be a catalyst for change in Jacksonville.

Connecting with the Opioid and Substance Use Disorder (OSUD) Grants Committee

Each month, the CCTC visits Jacksonville City Hall to represent UF Health and be part of the city’s coordinated efforts to reduce opioid overdoses. The Opioid and Substance Use Disorder (OSUD) Grants Committee meets monthly to discuss and review the work of multiple organizations across the region. This month the CCTC was represented by Assistant Director Ashley Emans, and UF Health Jacksonville intern Alison Miller, pictured here in the City Hall rotunda on Monday, June 23rd.

Convening Care with the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Program

In late May, Jax Fire and Rescue came to campus to meet with several groups of UF staff, including doctors and case managers. The goal was to make these teammembers aware of an important program for patients struggling with opioid addiction: the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) program, offering patients Medication-Assisted Treatment, transportation, and counseling. When we refer patients leaving UF to the city’s program, we know they are in good hands. Check out the CCTC Projects section on pain resources to learn more!

CCTC takes center stage at the 2025 Employee Talent Show

On May 15th, UF Health Jacksonville held its annual Employee Talent Show as part of the celebrations of National Healthcare Week. Seven acts performed in front of a full auditorium, and CCTC’s own Mike Mezzano WON Best Individual Performer!

"The event was a lot of fun! Everyone on stage was amazing and the crowd was so engaged," Michael said of the event. "I think it’s so important for organizations to make time to bring people together. Events like this remind us that we are more than just employees; we are people with hobbies, interests, and experiences that connect us to one another. My favorite thing about performing is the connection I get to make with the audience, and the shared experience that comes from enjoying a song together. I feel those connections really make a difference in how we work together as a team."

Michael sang the show tune "Some Enchanted Evening" from the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific. He has spent the better part of three decades singing, and plans to continue doing so for as long as he can.

Employee Profile: Ashley Emans

Ashley Emans MHA, LSSBB, FACHE leads the University of Florida's Center for Convening Transformative Care as Assistant Director. She was also elected as the 2025 President of the Northeast Florida Association for Healthcare Quality.

Previously, Ashley was the inaugural Radiology Business Manager at UF Health Jacksonville, a role she held for 5 years. In this role, she covered the administrative functions for sixteen diagnostic and interventional departments. Her responsibilities included revenue cycle, supply chain management, capital equipment, contracting, patient access and referrals, data analysis and reporting, and employee supervision.

Before joining UF, she worked at Baptist Health of Northeast FL for 7 years, holding roles in process engineering, where she obtained her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and as a Senior Project Manager for Information Systems, where she oversaw a number of successful clinical application implementations. She spent three years on the TEDxJacksonville leadership team, volunteering in logistics and fundraising.

Ashley studied at the University of Florida in Gainesville, earning a Masters in Health Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in English, with outside concentrations in Economics and Political Science. She completed her administrative residency at Baptist Health South Florida in Miami, FL. In 2023, she became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

"Getting to coordinate and amplify UF Health's population health work, in my hometown, is a tremendously rewarding full-circle moment for me personally. UF staff continue to impress me with their creativity, intelligence, and devotion to the mission. The UF community underpins many of Jacksonville's successes, and I’m excited to build upon them."

Fighting the Fires of the Opioid Epidemic: Our Collaboration with Jacksonville Fire and Rescue

On Tues Jan 7th, the CCTC visited our partners at the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Dept (JFRD) headquarters to plan for ongoing resources for UF patients struggling with substance use disorder. The Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Program helps individuals begin their recovery journey through medication-assisted therapy, transportation to appointments and pharmacies, and emotional support. The CCTC is pushing this important program beyond the emergency department, and into UF outpatient venues, where it can reach even more community members.

New Employee Profile: Michael T. Mezzano

Michael T. Mezzano joined the College of Medicine – Jacksonville in January 2025 as the Data Management Analyst for the CCTC. He earned his M.S. in Data Science – Data Modeling and Analytics from the University of West Florida in 2024, during which he co-authored research in the Journal of Statistics and Public Policy using spatial statistics methodologies. Prior to his current role, he worked as a Data Scientist and Project Lead in the Data Science for Social Good program at the University of North Florida, collaborating with local non-profit and advocacy groups to create data science tools designed to address social issues affecting Floridians.

Before his time as a data scientist, Michael served the Jacksonville community as a teacher in Duval County Public Schools from 2016 to 2024. He spent several years at Terry Parker High School (his alma mater) and Atlantic Coast High School, teaching courses in mathematics and physics while sponsoring many after-school student groups, including student government, peer tutoring programs, Marathon High, and a student favorite – the anime club. Michael is a local alumnus of both the University of North Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville, earning his B.A. in Psychology and Mathematical Sciences in 2015 and his A.A. in 2013, respectively. As a Jacksonville native and lifelong resident of Duval, Michael is proud to continue serving his community in this role and is excited to use data science solutions to meet the healthcare needs of our patients.