 Ascension Health held its annual breakfast meeting this morning that brought together community leaders, health officials and Crowland County citizens to discuss the current state of the health care and medical field. Included in the discussion were the effects of two major health crises ravaging the country. Our newest reporter, Clayton Castle, has that story. It was a packed house at the Ascension Health St. Joseph's Medical Center and Brainerd this morning as a discussion was held on multiple topics including fighting two major health crises, mental illness and opioid addiction. Minnesota consistently ranks 50th in the country in mental illness treatment and Dr. Peter Henry says that's because there are not enough beds to treat those with serious mental illness. But the key thing is where the crisis is that the most ill or who will require the most care we've taken a bit away over the last 10 to 15 years. While treating mental illness isn't easy, Henry says the community can play a major role by destigmatizing mental illness. There's still a huge amount of anxiety, a huge amount of stigma related to coming out and saying I have anxiety or I need treatment for anxiety. Another crisis that Ascension Health is aiming to combat is the opioid epidemic which has not only ravaged the entire country but Crow Wing County as well. Henry says that a majority of opioid addicts become addicted after the use of prescription drugs prescribed by a doctor. One way to slow down the epidemic is to limit the number of prescriptions of drugs known to lead to drug abuse. Our program focuses on the right medication, the right patient, and the right care of the time. It's not that we're not going to prescribe voltage to treat people's pain, we just want to do it the best we can. And good news for those wanting to seek treatment, Ascension Health is the cheapest option for any kind of medical treatment in the area according to Chief Financial Officer Dave Pilot. Convenient care options that are very low-cost options for people to with minor illnesses so they don't have to go to the emergency room to get their care taken care of. In Brainerd, Clayton Castle, Lakeland News. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, over 33,000 people died from an opioid drug overdose in 2015. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.