by Jill Kermes | Oct 30, 2018 | Press Releases
Organization Provides an Updated Scope of the Opioid Epidemic to Direct Funding and Resource Allocation and State-Level Efforts to Address the Total Patient Population
TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Roughly 135 people die every day from an opioid overdose in the U.S. However, more information regarding the current scope of the opioid epidemic – the total number of individuals affected by opioid misuse and the epidemic severity within each state – is needed for an impactful intervention. As a guidance to engage in this crisis and to effectively address the total patient population, Mission LISA implores the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as state and county departments of health, to consider the current magnitude of the epidemic and implement prevention, treatment, and intervention efforts based on state severity.
Mission LISA (Learning Indicators of Substance Addiction) conducted an in-depth quantitative analysis of data-based evidence, gathered by academic and government researchers – including those at the CDC and the SAMHSA – regarding the scope of the opioid epidemic. By analyzing and extrapolating reported data, Mission LISA determined an updated magnitude of the national opioid crisis in 2017.
The organization estimated that in the year 2017:
- Nearly 89% of the increase in drug overdose deaths was attributed to opioids.
- Roughly 69% of the total drug overdose deaths were opioid-related.
- Nearly 1.6 million opioid overdoses occurred nationwide.
- Approximately 136 people died from an opioid-related overdose every day.
- Approximately 13.8 million individuals misused opioids.
- Approximately 2.5 million individuals suffered from opioid addiction.
- Roughly 2.1 million individuals misused opioids for the first time during the year.
Data show that the number of drug overdose deaths nationwide in 2017 increased 12.5% from 2016. Specifically, opioids are the key driver in the uptick in drug overdose death counts. State-specific estimates show that Pennsylvania, Florida, California, Ohio, and Texas had the largest numbers in opioid overdose deaths and individuals affected by opioid misuse and opioid addiction during the year. On the other hand, the highest prevalence of opioid misuse and opioid addiction and the highest incidence of opioid misuse in 2017 were seen in West Virginia, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland.
Mission LISA’s analysis provides an updated scope of the national opioid crisis based on the increase in drug overdose deaths. State-level findings enable stakeholders to consider state severity when allocating funding and resources to address the epidemic adequately. Currently, the amount of state funding released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services correlates to the annual number of opioid overdose deaths per state. However, several areas that suffer from the biggest epidemic burden, namely West Virginia and the District of Columbia, are receiving insufficient funding to address the epidemic. Legislatures can utilize state-specific findings to develop state-level prevention, treatment, and intervention programs, targeting state-specific demands and needs.
Mission LISA will publish additional data-driven analyses and policy recommendations for victims of opioid addiction and overdose. An electronic version of Mission LISA’s quantitative analysis can be accessed here.
Follow Mission LISA on LinkedIn and Twitter for more policy updates.
About Mission LISA:
Mission LISA is a data aggregation initiative surrounding America’s national opioid crisis. Using deep web mining and machine learning technology, Lumina, in partnership with the Mission LISA Foundation, is collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing massive amounts of open-source data to provide policymakers and stakeholders with timely and relevant intelligence surrounding the current state of the crisis and how best to combat nationwide overdose death and addiction. Mission LISA’s Advisory Board is comprised of expert physicians, researchers, academics, policy veterans, and industry professionals, who provide strategic direction for ongoing data systems development and analysis. These data drive production of evidence-based policy recommendations and patient-centric treatment pathways, yielding highly targeted solutions for the epidemic. LISA is an acronym for Learning Indicators of Substance Addiction.
by Jill Kermes | Sep 24, 2018 | Press Releases
Together with Health In Justice Action Lab, Mission LISA Addresses Data Ingestion and Aggregation Challenges Regarding Drug-Induced Homicide Laws on the Opioid Epidemic
TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Mission LISA has partnered with Health In Justice Action Lab, a not-for-profit advocacy group organization focused on translating data into policy, to assist the organization with its effort to raise awareness about trends and implications of drug induced homicide prosecutions.
Mission LISA has been key in mapping out mechanisms of drug-induced homicide laws across the country to influence research and analysis so Health In Justice can identify and parse out state level legislation across the country.
As more timely and relevant data continues to be a challenge for many organizations hoping to affect policy, Mission LISA was able to assist Health In Justice by deploying machine learning technology to capture large volumes of data related to drug-induced homicide prosecutions on news and media outlets in real-time.
“The data provided by Mission LISA will only continue to support Health In Justice in driving ongoing analysis surrounding the landscape and consequences of drug-induced homicide laws as a means to address the opioid epidemic,” said Kris Smeage, Senior Vice President of Operations for Lumina Analytics.
Currently, 20 states have formal drug-induced homicide laws, while an additional 16 states prosecute “drug delivery resulting in death” under various felony-murder, depraved heart, or involuntary or voluntary manslaughter provisions. These contentious laws are increasingly used by prosecutors and police as a response to the national opioid epidemic. Health In Justice Action Lab is working to affect policy by offering alternatives and educating lawmakers about the implications of this approach.
In addition to using artificial intelligence, Mission LISA engaged an expert team of data analysts to extract specific data points and process drug-induced homicide case data such as: drug-induced homicide charges by state, the total of drug-induced homicide charges per year, and the most active states in pursuing drug-induced homicide charges.
“The analysis provided by Mission LISA has enabled the Health In Justice Action Lab to establish and maintain a public education web portal on an issue of national concern,” said Leo Beletsky, Mission LISA Advisory Board Member and Associate Professor of Law and Health Sciences and Faculty Director, Health in Justice Action Lab.
To access the full case study click here and follow Mission LISA on LinkedIn and Twitter for more policy updates.
About Mission LISA:
Mission LISA is a data aggregation initiative surrounding America’s national opioid crisis. Using deep web mining and machine learning technology, Lumina, in partnership with the Mission LISA Foundation, is collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing massive amounts of open-source data to provide policymakers and stakeholders with timely and relevant intelligence surrounding the current state of the crisis and how best to combat nationwide overdose death and addiction. Mission LISA’s Advisory Board is comprised of expert physicians, researchers, academics, policy veterans, and industry professionals, who provide strategic direction for ongoing data systems development and analysis. These data drive production of evidence-based policy recommendations and patient-centric treatment pathways, yielding highly targeted solutions for the epidemic. LISA is an acronym for Learning Indicators of Substance Addiction.
About the Mission LISA Foundation:
The Mission LISA Foundation was formed by Lumina as part of its Mission LISA data aggregation project. Mission LISA was launched by Lumina in 2017 to address the need for more robust and timely data surrounding the opioid crisis in America. For more information, please contact Kris Smeage at Kris.Smeage@LuminaAnalytics.com. Visitwww.LuminaAnalytics.com to learn more about Mission LISA technology and data analysis.
by Jill Kermes | Apr 3, 2018 | Press Releases
Organization Calls on Federal, State and County Governments to Implement Programs that Better Support Victims of Non-Fatal Opioid Overdose
TAMPA, Fla., April 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Mission LISA is a data aggregation initiative surrounding America’s national opioid crisis. Using deep web mining and machine learning technology, Lumina Analytics, in partnership with the Mission LISA Foundation, is collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing massive amounts of publicly available data to provide policymakers and healthcare service providers with timely and relevant information surrounding the current state of the crisis and how best to combat nationwide overdose death and addiction. Mission LISA’s Advisory Board is comprised of expert physicians, researchers, academics, policy veterans, and industry professionals, who provide strategic direction for ongoing data systems development and analysis. These data drive production of evidence-based policy recommendations and patient-centric treatment pathways, yielding highly targeted solutions for the epidemic. Today, Mission LISA publishes its first policy recommendation, focused on implementing enhanced treatment intervention at the time of non-fatal overdose to rapidly reduce nationwide opioid-induced mortality.
Each day in the U.S., some 175 people die from opioid overdose. As a call-to-action to engage in this crisis and reduce opioid-related deaths, Mission LISA implores the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as state and county departments of health, to implement enhanced intervention and treatment programs that target victims of non-fatal opioid overdose.
The organization recommends five treatment enhancements for all victims of non-fatal overdose, who are at heightened risk of repeat overdose and possible death:
- EMS transport to a hospital emergency department.
- In-patient attention for 24 hours.
- Education on the risk of repeat overdose and death, and treatment options for addiction.
- Introduction to a voluntary Medication-Assisted Treatment prescription program and long-term behavioral therapy, providing both physical and mental health treatment.
- Release of naloxone to the patient and family members or friends who are present in case of emergency with instruction on how to administer upon release from facility.
Mission LISA (Learning Indicators of Substance Addiction) conducted an in-depth analysis of data-based evidence, gathered by academic and government researchers – including those at the CDC – and published recently in long-term studies, to prove that focusing on victims of non-lethal overdose is the best chance of saving and rehabilitating those most in need. By analyzing and extrapolating data from the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, Mission LISA determined that at two percent fatality, there are 49 non-fatal opioid overdose victims for every fatal overdose, which translates into 8,575 non-fatal overdoses in the U.S. per day.
These victims too often receive insufficient care and attention from health service providers and remain at significant risk for subsequent, fatal overdose. Mission LISA finds that treating non-fatal overdose patients immediately and more fully has a significant impact on whether they will survive, and could save up to 100 lives per day, reducing nationwide opioid-induced mortality by up to 58 percent.
“Data show that engaging people addicted to opioids at the time of a non-fatal overdose is critically important. By providing these individuals with more aggressive treatment, we have a good chance of saving them,” said Allan Martin, Chairman of the Board, Mission LISA and CEO of Lumina Analytics. “The opioid epidemic is a national health crisis. To solve it will require considerable effort and cooperation across the spectrum of policy makers, insurers, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare practitioners. The policy we are recommending today has the potential to save many lives. We are hopeful that its adoption will be rapid and widespread.”
Mission LISA has identified that many victims of opioid-induced mortality have overdosed multiple times prior to the overdose that results in their deaths. Several studies have shown a strong association between non-fatal overdose and increased risk of subsequent overdose death. A recent Massachusetts study demonstrates that nearly half of those who died of fatal opioid overdoses suffered a non-fatal overdose in the preceding five years. Additionally, nearly one in 10 patients observed in the study, who experienced non-fatal overdose, died of a fatal overdose within two years.
“The estimated total costs of opioid and heroin addiction, roughly $111 billion every year, don’t take into account the extraordinary suffering caused by this crisis. The loss of human life and damage inflicted on families and communities across the country by this scourge are almost unimaginable,” said Katie Sogolow, Vice President of Mission LISA Operations. “The policy we are recommending today has the potential to end this suffering for thousands of Americans. We know that enhanced treatment at the time of non-fatal overdose will significantly decrease mortality. By implementing enhanced intervention now, our federal, state, and local governments will save countless lives, reduce the monetary costs and alleviate the human suffering this crisis is inflicting on communities across the nation.”
Mission LISA will publish additional data-driven policy recommendations, outlining evidence-based models for ongoing intervention among victims of opioid addiction and overdose.
About Mission LISA:
Mission LISA is a data aggregation initiative surrounding America’s national opioid crisis. Using deep web mining and machine learning technology, Lumina Analytics, in partnership with the Mission LISA Foundation, is collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing massive amounts of publicly available data to provide policymakers and healthcare service providers with timely and relevant intelligence surrounding the current state of the crisis and how best to combat nationwide overdose death and addiction. Mission LISA’s Advisory Board is comprised of expert physicians, researchers, academics, policy veterans, and industry professionals, who provide strategic direction for ongoing data systems development and analysis. These data drive production of evidence-based policy recommendations and patient-centric treatment pathways, yielding highly targeted solutions for the epidemic.
About the Mission LISA Foundation:
The Mission LISA Foundation was formed by Lumina Analytics as part of its Mission LISA data aggregation project. LISA is an acronym for Learning Indicators of Substance Addiction. Mission LISA was launched by Lumina Analytics in 2017 to address the need for more robust and timely data surrounding the opioid crisis in America.
by Jill Kermes | Mar 28, 2018 | Press Releases
TAMPA, Fla., March 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Lumina is proud to welcome three new additions to its team – Erica Houseman, Madison Taylor and Vicky Liao. Houseman, Taylor and Liao join the team as Senior Intelligence Analysts, all bringing a diverse array of expertise and experience to Lumina.
Ms. Taylor joins Lumina having completed her Master’s in International Relations and Politics with a focus on International Security at the University of Cambridge & her Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Neuroscience at Harvard University. “My time at Lumina so far has been an incredible experience. This company has brought together some of the brightest minds across a diverse set of fields to work on solving the world’s most important issues, and I am honored to be part of the exciting work we do each day,” says Ms. Taylor. “I am glad to work for a company that not only values creativity and hard work, but that has already given me the opportunity and autonomy to innovate and apply my background towards important, meaningful projects. I look forward to being part of Lumina’s growth into the future.”
Ms. Houseman holds a Masters of Business Administration from University of South Florida St. Petersburg where she specialized in International Business. “Lumina creates impactful solutions for the most pressing issues the world faces today,” says Ms. Houseman. “Lumina offers meaningful challenges and opportunities on a daily basis. I feel honored to work with such a talented group of people and am excited to help Lumina continue to succeed.”
Ms. Liao joins Lumina with experience in statistical analysis, most recently as Biostatistics Research Assistant at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Ms. Liao graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Statistics and from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston with an M.S. in Biostatistics. “It is an honor to be able to work with such an inspiring team at Lumina. Using our innovative ideas and advanced technology, we will continue to challenge ourselves in solving some of the most complex problems in our society” says Ms. Liao.
“It is with great excitement that we welcome Erica, Madi, and Vicky to the Lumina team,” says Kris Smeage, Senior Vice President. “Each embodies Lumina’s commitment to solving the world’s most pressing problems and possesses unique abilities that are critical to the firm’s continued success.”
by Jill Kermes | Feb 28, 2018 | Press Releases
TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — The Mission LISA Foundation is pleased to announce its new Advisory Board, a group of expert stakeholders engaged in combatting the national opioid crisis through research, pain and addiction treatment, industry, and advocacy.
The Mission LISA Foundation (“MLF”) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that uses public data and machine learning technology to develop real-time data relevant to combatting the national opioid crisis. The MLF develops unique data sets and analyses in partnership with Lumina Analytics, LLC, a company that provides predictive risk sensing solutions to corporate and government clients through its suite of advanced algorithmics and artificial intelligence. The purpose of the MLF is to provide policymakers and healthcare service providers with time relevant data analytics to drive development of evidence-based policy solutions and patient-centric treatment pathways.
Members of the MLF Advisory Board meet quarterly to provide strategic direction for ongoing data aggregation, identifying knowledge gaps that exist relevant to opioid addiction prevention, treatment, and interdiction. Additionally, members support the delivery of real-time data and analyses to stakeholders engaged in combatting the crisis. Members include: Kathleen Shanahan, Interim Chair of the MLF Advisory Board and Chair at Ground Works Solutions; Tim Wright, CEO of M2Gen; Dr. Gregory Scherrer, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, and of Neurosurgery at Stanford School of Medicine, Dr. Ravi Prasad, Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and Associate Chief of Pain Psychology for the Division of Pain Medicine at Stanford University, Dr. Eric Sun, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Adult-MSD), Health Research, and Policy at the Stanford University Medical Center, Leo Beletsky, JD, MPH, Associate Professor of Law and Health Sciences at Northeastern University and Founder and Director of the Health in Justice Institute, and Dr. Jason Fields, President of the Florida Society of Addiction Medicine and Medical Director at DACCO.
“The group assembled around this critical national crisis is truly amazing. We are confident that our technology coupled with such brilliant minds will have a pivotal impact on curbing the national opioid crisis,” stated Allan Martin, Chairman of the Board for the Mission LISA Foundation.
Interim Advisory Board Chair, Kathleen Shanahan, summarized the group’s inaugural meeting, which took place on Monday, February 19, stating, “Our aim is to rapidly reduce the rate of opioid-induced overdose death. We will accomplish this by driving our analyses from mortality to the molecular. Our data sets will be invaluable in the development of actionable intelligence.”
About the Mission LISA Foundation: The Mission LISA Foundation was formed by Lumina Analytics as part of its Mission LISA data aggregation project. LISA is an acronym for Learning Indicators of Substance Addiction. Mission LISA was launched by Lumina Analytics in 2017 to address the need for more robust and timely data surrounding the opioid crisis in America.
by Jill Kermes | Jan 3, 2017 | Press Releases
TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Today Lumina Analytics announced the promotion of Katherine Martin, Jacob Shonkwiler and Kristopher Smeage to senior intelligence analyst. All three staffers joined Lumina in 2016.
Martin, a graduate of and former Presidential Scholar at Boston College has a bachelor’s degree with a major in theology and a minor in philosophy. Katherine also was the founder of early-stage funding firm, LaRagazza in 2014.
Shonkwiler is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and the University of Florida. Prior to joining Lumina, Jake practiced commercial law at a firm in Tampa. While in law school, he worked for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in Miami.
Smeage holds a Master of International Affairs with a concentration in quantitative policy analysis and data science from Columbia University and a Bachelor of International Affairs from Baldwin Wallace University where he was honored as an Outstanding Senior of the Class of 2012 and served as Student Body President. Prior to joining Lumina, Kris worked with New York City Transit on a data integration project to enhance subway operations. Kris also worked with the Ministry of Finance and provincial governments in the Philippines to operationalize the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, a global initiative to reduce money-laundering and corruption in extractive industries.
“This is the most talented group of young professionals I have ever worked with,” Said Dr. Morten Middelfart, Chief Data Scientist and cofounder of Lumina. “Their individual contributions to our work in 2016 were extraordinary. We would not be where we are today if we had missed the opportunity to hire any one of these young associates.”
Martin and Smeage each work on projects for corporate and government clients. Shonkwiler has specialized in litigation risk analytics and reporting to date. “Working with Lumina Analytics has afforded me with more opportunities for professional growth than I ever could have imagined this early in my career,” Said Katie Martin. “The work is challenging and inspiring. I love my team and working through complex problems every day. The data science is fascinating.”
“I was told during the hiring process that I would be pushed into the deep end of the pool here,” Said Jake Shonkwiler. “I was immediately assigned to solve problems that presented serious challenges. But I love it. We work long hours and the work is difficult. We push each other to think and grow. The culture here is special.”
According to Kris Smeage, “My first few months have been remarkable. The senior staff has given me opportunities to run important engagements with a degree of autonomy I did not expect. In my first month, I presented my own work to a special committee in Washington and met with a team that included former members of Presidential cabinets and several three-letter agencies. The learning opportunities surrounding our predictive analytics and data mining capabilities have also been terrific, immediately enabling me to apply theory from my graduate studies toward solving real world problems. I am very glad to be here.”
