Summer Read kickoff featured award-winning journalist and author of ‘Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic’

Transforming Health’s Summer Read kicked off with a special event in partnership with WellSpan Health featuring Sam Quinones, an award-winning journalist and author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic. Over 300 people attended the event held at The Pullo Center on the campus of Penn State York which included a book signing, keynote presentation and community panel discussion

The goal is to educate the community about the opioid epidemic. Quinones delivered an engaging  keynote presentation reflecting on what he learned while writing the book, his take on the opioid addiction in America, as well as his ideas on where we go from here. Afterwards a panel discussion focusing on the opioid crisis in York County highlighted the perspectives of local elected officials, as well as representatives from local health care and addiction recovery organizations. Diverse groups who historically may not have worked together are coming together now to fight the epidemic.

“Summer Read” is a unique annual program presented by WITF’s Transforming Health, Aligning Forces for Quality – South Central PA and the central Pennsylvania library systems to encourage residents to visit local libraries to borrow the summer read and hold discussions with their book clubs, friends, family and colleagues. Through selection of this year’s book “Dreamland,” the goal this year is to engage readers in a conversation about the opioid epidemic and how individuals are confronting the crisis in their communities.