Mayo Clinic Health System and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire hosted a free community education event, “Changing the conversation around alcohol in the U.S.: Acknowledging the elephant in the room.” The keynote speaker was George Koob, Ph.D., an internationally recognized expert on alcohol and stress and the neurobiology of alcohol and drug addiction. He is the Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and a senior investigator at the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Koob’s presentation addressed alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder, including raising awareness about the scope of the problem and shedding light on the social and health consequences of alcohol misuse. Over 300 community members attended the evening event.

Dr. Koob also presented a medical grand rounds presentation, “Alcohol Use Disorder and Allostasis: The Gain in the Brain is in the Emotional Pain,” at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire. This presentation was open to all healthcare providers and other professionals within the community interested in learning more about alcohol use disorder and addiction.

Ranked as three of the top five health priorities needing improvement in the 2021 Eau Claire County Community Health Needs Assessment, mental health, drug use and alcohol misuse remain major concerns for Eau Claire County residents. Studies show that many factors that have the greatest influence on health occur in our community. The foundations for success and improvement lie within the important partnerships with community-based organizations and residents. Mayo Clinic Health System recognizes that these partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to translate everyone’s vision for healthier communities into visible, concrete changes and, ultimately, a healthier place to live.