Let's Talk About Drugs in the Intermountain West

A Hospitalist Talks SUD Care (and Candy)

In this episode of Let’s Talk About Drugs in the Intermountain West, we’re joined by Dr. James Willey [https://healthcare.utah.edu/find-a-doctor/james-c-willey], a hospitalist with University of Utah Health. Dr. Willey shares insights from his work improving care for hospitalized patients with substance use disorder, with a special focus on rural communities, Veterans, and alcohol use disorder. He also takes on some of our toughest questions — including the very important debate: just how bad are mini Cadbury eggs, really? Resources from this episode: * A comparison of gender-linked population cancer risks between alcohol and tobacco: how many cigarettes are there in a bottle of wine? [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30917803/] This podcast comes from the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://medicine.utah.edu/internal-medicine/epidemiology/parcka]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The mission of PARCKA is to promote and provide addiction related research, clinical care, knowledge and advocacy across the University of Utah, the local community, the State of Utah, and the nation. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the official views of University of Utah Health or its leadership.

Prevention Using Our Genes

In this episode of Let’s Talk About Drugs in the Intermountain West, we chat with Emily DiBlasi, PhD [https://medicine.utah.edu/faculty/emily-diblasi] from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. Dr. DiBlasi shares insights from her work in genetics and explores how genetic research can help identify risk factors associated with suicide deaths. Resources from this episode: * ⁠Kem and Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center [https://healthcare.utah.edu/hmhi/programs/crisis-diversion/crisis-care-center] * American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Utah [https://afsp.org/chapter/utah] * Zero Suicide Initiative [https://jjys.utah.gov/about-us/zero-suicide/] * 988 Lifeline [https://988lifeline.org/] This podcast comes from the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://medicine.utah.edu/internal-medicine/epidemiology/parcka]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The mission of PARCKA is to promote and provide addiction related research, clinical care, knowledge and advocacy across the University of Utah, the local community, the State of Utah, and the nation. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the official views of University of Utah Health or its leadership.

Show Me the Outcomes!

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Madeline Brendle, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin. We sit down with Dr. Brendle to discuss her work applying rigorous health services, health economics, and outcomes research methods to evaluate the real-world effectiveness, value, and implementation of behavioral health interventions. This podcast comes from the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://medicine.utah.edu/internal-medicine/epidemiology/parcka]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The mission of PARCKA is to promote and provide addiction related research, clinical care, knowledge and advocacy across the University of Utah, the local community, the State of Utah, and the nation. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the official views of University of Utah Health or its leadership.

Kratom 101

In this episode, we sit down with Adam J. Gordon, MD MPH FACP DFASAM, to explore the world of kratom (whether you say kray-tom or krah-tom). Adam walks us through the history of kratom, what it is, its potential benefits and risks, and why it has become such a hot topic today. Resources from this episode: * ‘Gas station heroin’ ban passes Utah Legislature [https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2026/03/05/kratom-gas-station-heroin-ban/] - The Salt Lake Tribune * Kratom: What You Need to Know About This “Natural” Opioid [https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2025/11/kratom-what-you-need-know-about-natural-opioid] - University of Utah Health This podcast comes from the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://medicine.utah.edu/internal-medicine/epidemiology/parcka]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The mission of PARCKA is to promote and provide addiction related research, clinical care, knowledge and advocacy across the University of Utah, the local community, the State of Utah, and the nation. This episode is made possible in support from the Salt Lake County Health Department. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the official views of University of Utah Health or its leadership.

Knowing What We Don’t Know, Together

In this episode, we are joined once again by Riley Drage, CPSS. This time, Riley talks with us about the future of drug checking and why this work is so essential. He also shares meaningful ways we can all practice compassion during overdose response. Resources from this episode: * Learn more about ⁠Utah Naloxone’s resources and services⁠ [https://www.utahnaloxone.org/], including their training and event calendar and a map of Utah libraries and fire stations offering free naloxone. * Learn more about the Dunning–Kruger effect [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect]. * Learn more about Marya Lieberman and here work here [https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/marya-lieberman/]. This podcast comes from the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Program of Addiction Research, Clinical Care, Knowledge, and Advocacy (PARCKA)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://medicine.utah.edu/internal-medicine/epidemiology/parcka]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The mission of PARCKA is to promote and provide addiction related research, clinical care, knowledge and advocacy across the University of Utah, the local community, the State of Utah, and the nation. This episode is made possible in support from the Salt Lake County Health Department. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the official views of University of Utah Health or its leadership.