Baptist Memorial and Arcare host first-ever West Tennessee Substance Use Summit
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 5, 2026– More than 185 addiction medicine, social services and law enforcement professionals attended the 2026 West Tennessee Substance Use Summit, held in Memphis for the first time at the Memphis Botanic Gardens.
Baptist Memorial Health Care’s Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine and Arcare, a community-based health center that provides high-quality primary and preventive care to underserved communities, previously hosted the summit in Mississippi from 2024 to 2025. The summit focused on strengthening cross-sector collaboration and emphasized the importance of health care, public safety, prevention and community partners working together to strengthen recovery by providing informed, compassionate and evidence-based support.
Topics covered include motivational interviewing and person-centered communication, building recovery capital in the Mid-South, reducing stigma, medications for opioid use disorder and bridging misconceptions through shared goals and collaboration.
The summit also included situation table sessions, an audience panel discussion and an emerging trends panel focused on substance use in West Tennessee, including field, laboratory and forensic perspectives.
“The 2026 West Tennessee Substance Use Summit reflects Baptist Memorial Health Care’s commitment to meeting people with compassion and connecting them with evidence-based care,” said Sierra Butler, manager of the Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine. “By uniting professionals and community partners across West Tennessee, we can challenge misinformed perceptions, strengthen access to treatment and help more individuals and families find a path to recovery.”
Dr. Omar Manejwala, a nationally recognized psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist, gave the keynote address about the essential role of connection, community and support in sustaining recovery and improving lives. Other speakers included representatives from the Baptist Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and other professionals working in the addiction medicine sector.
“Addiction is a community disease,” said Dr. Omar Manejwala, keynote speaker for the 2026 West Tennessee Substance Use Summit. “It takes all hands-on deck to solve this problem in our community.”
Breakout sessions provided an opportunity for summit attendees to network and learn how to understand the role of health care providers in supporting individuals who use recreational drugs, reducing stigma around addiction and providing ongoing support and aftercare during recovery by enhancing trust building skills. The summit also included situation table sessions, an audience panel discussion and an emerging trends panel focused on substance use in West Tennessee, including field, laboratory and forensic perspectives.
“Arcare and Baptist have worked together on many projects over the years,” said Joey Flowers, chief strategy officer of Arcare “This partnership brought us to Memphis and allowed Arcare to establish its first clinic in Tennessee. This collaboration brings innovative clinical services to support providers in addressing the opioid crisis.”
Founded in 1986, Arcare is a medical network striving to fulfill its “Health for All” mission by specializing in primary care, behavioral health, chronic disease care, pharmaceutical care, and insurance. As a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC), Arcare is able to care for every patient regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. For more information, visit www.arcare.net.
Baptist Memorial Health Care formed the Center of Excellence in Addiction Medicine in 2019 to provide immediate, comprehensive treatment for Baptist Memorial Health Care patients with substance and alcohol use disorders. Patients are connected with an addiction medicine specialist and a supporting team of physicians, therapists, social workers, care coordinators and recovery support specialists through teleconsultation and telemedicine to create a seamless path toward treatment and recovery. Through a strategic partnership with Arcare, the Center has expanded access to community-based addiction treatment, strengthened continuity of care and supported recovery services across the Mid-South. To learn more, visit www.baptistonline.org/services/addiction-care.
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