Jerald Westberg

Jerald (J.R.) Westberg is the Principal Project Coordinator for the Department of Orthopedics at Hennepin County Medical Center, a Level-1 trauma center in Minneapolis, MN. His principal duties involve managing the orthopedic research department, with a primary focus on functional recovery after orthopedic trauma. J.R. has demonstrated a sustained interest in the role that acute trauma plays as a gateway for opioid addiction and has spearheaded an effort to overhaul and develop new departmental opioid prescription protocols, which resulted in a significant decrease in post-operative opioid prescriptions. He is also involved in the hospital-based opioid-stewardship committee as well as the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement on best practices for opioid prescriptions.

Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS) is an integrated system of care that includes a nationally recognized Level-1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, an acute care hospital (Hennepin County Medical Center/HCMC), and a primary care clinic system. Hennepin Healthcare has a large psychiatric program, home care, hospice, and operates a research institute, innovation center, and philanthropic foundation. The HHS mission is to partner with the community to ensure access to outstanding care while improving health and wellness through teaching, patient and community education, and research. HCMC serves the community in many ways, including as a safety-net hospital; in that role, HCMC hosts a strong addiction medicine program and treats a number of patients with medical problems related to opioid abuse and addiction.