CATALYST Medical Director, Sarah Bagley, MD, Talks Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Use
Dr. Sarah Bagley, Medical Director of BMC’s Center for Addiction Treatment for Adolescents/Young Adults who Use Substances (CATALYST), has recently been featured in a TAG Talk from the Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health.
[Image from Office of Adolescent Health Bulletin, November 9th, 2018 .]
In the video, Dr. Bagley discusses why adolescents choose to use drugs and alcohol, how it can be detrimental to their health, and what health professionals and parents can due to prevent adolescent use. The Office of Adolescent Health has also provided useful tools for providers and families to start discussions around adolescent substance use.
You can view the video and access the tools at the Office of Adolescent Health’s website here. The video can also be watched on our Provider Resources page, under the “Special Populations” category.
Meet Annie Lee Potter, Nurse Practitioner with BMC OBAT
Watch the video above to hear what Annie has to say about Boston Medical Center’s staff, patient population, and role in the community!
Join Our Addiction Chat Live!
OBAT TTA is starting a new, weekly Addiction Chat Live to provide support for providers. Each chat will feature informal, interactive case conferencing and discussion led by the BMC OBAT team and peers.
Thursday mornings from 7:00am-7:50am
Questions, please contact: DH-MATChat@bmc.org
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day
Boston Medical Center and OBAT TTA will be recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) in support of the thousands of individuals and families who have been affected by overdoses. By bringing awareness to overdose, the goal of IOAD is to lessen the stigma that harms people with substance use disorders and acknowledge the grief felt by loved ones of those lost to overdose.
The current scale of the opioid epidemic shows that no community is immune to being faced with drug-related deaths. Communities, families, people who use drugs, government officials, international organizations, businesses and policy makers must come together in a shared effort to reduce the tragedy of overdose.
If you would like to read more about International Overdose Awareness Day or see the calendar of events being held on August 31st, please visit https://www.overdoseday.com/
Colleen LaBelle, MSN, RN-BC, CARN, to Receive 2018 Innovators in Health Award
Colleen LaBelle, director of Boston Medical Center’s OBAT and State OBAT, will be one of the recipients of the 2018 Innovators in Health Award, presented by the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation (NEHI).
Over the last 10 years, 45 people have received the Innovators in Health Award, each of whom has made a lasting impact in the health field. Awardees have ranged from CEOs to Attorney Generals and university professors, all working to advance health care, health technology, and life sciences.
Ms. LaBelle is being honored with the award for her exemplary work in the field of substance use disorder treatment. As the creator of the Massachusetts Nurse Care Manager Model of Office-Based Treatment, Ms. LaBelle has helped to vastly expand addiction treatment throughout the state of Massachusetts, and is now helping to disseminate the model nationally.
Please visit this website to learn more about the Innovators in Health Award.
BMC OBAT Seeking Senior Research Assistant
The Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) team in the Section of General Internal Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) seeks a highly motivated individual for the position of Senior Research Assistant to support implementation of a grant-funded trial within BMC’s OBAT Program within Primary Care. Continue reading “BMC OBAT Seeking Senior Research Assistant”
Kristin Wason, NP, interviewed on Boston Medical Center’s role in combating the opioid crisis
OBAT Technical Assistance Specialist Kristin Wason, a buprenorphine-waivered provider at Boston Medical Center, appeared on CityLine on WCVB5 this past Sunday, July 15th. In her interview, she explains how addiction treatment is being brought into all points of entry in the Boston Medical Center health system, and how that positively impacts the uptake of treatment for substance use disorders in the greater Boston area. Many programs within BMC’s Grayken Center for Addiction were highlighted in addition to OBAT, including Project RESPECT within OB/GYN and FASTER PATHS in the Emergency Department. To watch Kristin’s full interview on CityLine, please click here.
BMC OBAT Nurses Celebrated in the Boston Globe’s Salute to Nurses
Image from the Boston Globe, Sunday, May 6th, 2018.
Boston Medical Center’s Office-Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) Nurse Care Managers were highlighted in a special issue of the Boston Globe, the Salute to Nurses. More than 90 OBAT patients contributed their thoughts to the OBAT nurses’ important work in treating addiction and helping patients piece their lives back together. Program Director Colleen LaBelle also weighed in on the nurses’ commitment to improving their patients’ lives, saying, “We take care of the whole person.” Read the full article here.
Boston Medical Center’s Efforts to Improve Nutrition for Those in Recovery from Addiction – Slate
A new article published in Slate this week highlights one of Boston Medical Center’s many services for people in recovery from substance use disorders. Nutrition is a vital part of improving patients’ health, and BMC’s demonstration kitchen seeks to teach patients how to replace craving-inducing junk food with healthful, nutritious alternatives. Read the full article here.
