Construction has commenced on the National Center for Opioid Research & Clinical Effectiveness (NCOR) at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, with an anticipated opening in 2027. This facility aims to address the significant impacts of opioid and substance misuse on children, pregnant individuals, and parents, providing vital research and outreach programs to improve health outcomes for affected families.
Plans for the center include the implementation of several innovative programs. Among these is the “Eat, Sleep, Console” care approach, designed specifically for newborns experiencing neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Additionally, NCOR will introduce a home-visiting initiative and a game-based intervention aimed at preventing prescription drug misuse among adolescents.
The center’s mission also includes training at least 150 healthcare providers across Arkansas to better identify children and youth at risk for opioid and substance exposure. This training will enable timely and effective interventions, enhancing the overall response to substance misuse in the community.
The establishment of NCOR follows a partnership between the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Attorney General Tim Griffin, who allocated $55 million from opioid and vaping settlement funds to support the initiative. The Arkansas Children’s Hospital will contribute an additional $20 million, underscoring the significant investment in addressing this pressing public health issue.
Tim Griffin stated that NCOR will be the first of its kind in the United States, further solidifying Arkansas’s reputation as a national leader in healthcare innovation. The center will occupy a 65,000-square-foot facility on the hospital’s campus, with Dr. Alicia Allen, a behavioral epidemiologist, appointed as its director.
As the opioid crisis continues to affect communities nationwide, the establishment of NCOR represents a proactive step towards understanding and mitigating the impact of substance misuse among vulnerable populations. By focusing on research, community outreach, and provider education, Arkansas Children’s Hospital is poised to make a significant contribution to improving health outcomes for families grappling with these challenges.
