Hot Topic: Understanding the Opioid Epidemic Through a Social Determinants of Health Lens

Social determinants of health—the conditions in which people are born, live, work, learn, and interact—play a critical role in shaping individual and population health outcomes. According to the New York State Department of Health, more than 4,000 New Yorkers died from drug overdoses in 2024, with opioids being the most commonly involved substance.

Factors such as economic stability, access to quality healthcare and education, neighborhood environments, and social and community connections can significantly influence health outcomes and contribute to the opioid overdose epidemic.

This webinar will explore how a social determinants of health approach can deepen our understanding of the underlying factors driving the opioid epidemic and help identify effective strategies to address this ongoing public health crisis.

Learning and Actionable Plans

After attending this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify the leading social determinants of health associated with the opioid epidemic.
• Discuss the impact of social determinant factors in perpetuating health disparities related to substance use.
• Understand how using a social determinant approach is critical to tackling the opioid epidemic.
• Identify evidence-based solutions deeply rooted in a social determinant approach to address the opioid epidemic in the United States effectively.

About Our Speaker:

Dr. Carl R. Viel dedicated the early part of his healthcare career to clinical care in community health centers, focusing on preventing and treating chronic and infectious diseases. Moved by the striking health disparities in the communities he served, he shifted his career focus to public health. Since then, Dr. Viel has led several behavioral and biomedical intervention programs for community-based organizations in New York City, reducing HIV and STI prevalence and improving linkage to care and medication adherence.

During the pandemic's harshest period, Dr. Viel served as a Clinic Manager, overseeing clinical operations, facilitating COVID-19-related research, and providing crucial support to COVID-19 and mpox vaccine operations by leading teams of dedicated vaccine concierges.

He has received several awards in his native country and the United States for his tremendous contribution to promoting health equity and disease prevention. Dr. Viel earned a medical degree from the State University of Haiti, a Master of Science in Public Health at Adelphi University, and a Doctor of Health Science degree with a specialization in Public Health at Bay Path University.