English
French
Spanish
VietnameseGriffin: ‘NCOR will add to Arkansas’s stellar reputation as a national leader in health care’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement regarding the progress of construction on the National Center for Opioid Research & Clinical Effectiveness at Arkansas Children’s:
“In November 2023, I announced the establishment of the National Center for Opioid Research & Clinical Effectiveness (NCOR) at Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock. Now, nearly two years later, with $55 million in opioid and smokeless tobacco settlement funds committed by my office to the project, the center is beginning to physically take shape.
“NCOR will be the first research center of its kind in the country, and the work done here will lead to greater understanding of the impacts of the opioid crisis on unborn babies, newborns, and developing children. Make no mistake, NCOR will add to Arkansas’s stellar reputation as a national leader in health care and will be a significant center of research not just locally or regionally, but nationally and internationally as well.
“I have greatly appreciated working with Arkansas Children’s, and I congratulate CEO Marcy Doderer on the hiring of Dr. Alicia Allen to be NCOR’s director. The work that Arkansas Children’s does across the state is phenomenal, and I can think of no better organization to take on this important work.”
Arkansas Children’s President and CEO Marcy Doderer added the following statement:
“The opioid crisis has profoundly impacted Arkansas families, a reality we witness daily across our NICU, clinics and ER. By establishing this center, we are boldly advancing a healthier future for children across our region and nation. The brilliant capacity of our dedicated team, both current and future, will deliver a better today and healthier tomorrow for every child affected by this crisis.”
Some innovative research studies planned or in progress include:
Eat, Sleep, Console Care Approach: Intervention aimed at improving outcomes for newborns with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS).
Following Baby Back Home: Expanding an existing post-birth hospitalization home-visiting program to support families with infants experiencing NOWS.
Game-based Intervention to Prevent Adolescent Prescription Drug Misuse: This school-based intervention project enhances an existing Opioid Misuse App by improving its functionality and incorporating an educational component for caregivers, delivered through email or text.
As the construction continues, the NCOR team plans to train at least 150 healthcare providers across Arkansas to identify and respond to children and youth at risk due to opioid and substance use disorder exposure. The goal is to equip them with evidence-based tools to provide timely interventions and connect families to long-term support.
This week also marks the launch of NCOR’s website, a tool for community engagement and education.
To learn more about NCOR and see drone footage of the progress of the building project, go to www.archildrens.org/NCOR.
To download a PDF version of this release, click here.
About Attorney General Tim Griffin
Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023, having previously served as the state’s 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023. From 2011-2015, Griffin served as the 24th representative of Arkansas’s Second Congressional District, where he served on the House Committee on Ways and Means, House Armed Services Committee, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Ethics and House Committee on the Judiciary while also serving as a Deputy Whip for the Majority.
Griffin is currently an officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard and holds the rank of colonel. Griffin served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for more than 28 years. In 2005, Griffin was mobilized to active duty as an Army prosecutor at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Mosul, Iraq.
His previous assignments include serving as the Commander of the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana; the Commander of the 134th Legal Operations Detachment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and as a Senior Legislative Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Pentagon. Griffin earned a master’s degree in strategic studies as a Distinguished Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
Griffin also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs for President George W. Bush; Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas; Senior Investigative Counsel, Government Reform and Oversight Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Associate Independent Counsel, Office of Independent Counsel David M. Barrett, In re: HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.
Griffin is a graduate of Magnolia High School, Hendrix College in Conway, and Tulane Law School in New Orleans. He attended graduate school at Oxford University. He is admitted to practice law in Arkansas (active) and Louisiana (inactive). Griffin lives in Little Rock with his wife, Elizabeth, a Camden native, and their three children.
###