Nasser Khan on public perception
From Episode 150: Dr. Nasser Khan on Overcoming Opioid Addiction with Storytelling · · Laura Sicola, Inc.
“We have a serious PR issue in our industry. There's a massive misunderstanding of what it is that we do in our clinics. People often think that an opioid treatment program is a place for people to safely inject drugs and exchange needles. It's actually not; it's a place where people come to get treatment.”
On , Nasser Khan, Chief Operating Officer at ACADIA HEALTHCARE CO INC, spoke about public perception during Episode 150: Dr. Nasser Khan on Overcoming Opioid Addiction with Storytelling on Laura Sicola, Inc..
About Nasser Khan
In a September 2023 podcast appearance, Nasser Khan, then Group President of Operations at Acadia Healthcare's comprehensive treatment centers, discussed his work overseeing 151 outpatient clinics across 32 states that treat over 65,000 patients daily for opioid addiction. Khan described addiction as a chronic disease affecting 10 million people in the U.S. and stated that only 10% of people with opioid addiction are currently in treatment. He cited that opioid overdose is the leading cause of death for people aged 18 to 45 and that there were approximately 107,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in the most recent year, a figure he said was twice that of the previous 12 months. Khan also addressed what he called a "serious PR issue" in the industry, saying there is a "massive misunderstanding" of what opioid treatment programs do, and that they are places for treatment rather than for safe drug use. He identified community opposition based on fear and misunderstanding as the biggest challenge in building new clinics. Khan described his primary role as being "an evangelist" to combat stigma, and shared leadership lessons, including the importance of building balanced teams and using personalized, emotional communication to persuade and influence.