Episode 1: Dr. Jarvis and Dr. Alvanzo talk successful addiction treatment and their experiences working in addiction medicine.

Welcome to National Addiction Treatment Week 2023! In Episode 1 of the Treat Addiction Save Lives podcast, Drs. Anika Alvanzo and Margaret Jarvis discuss the shortage of addiction medicine specialists and the complexities of addiction medicine care. Drs. Alvanzo and Jarvis share how they were drawn to the field of addiction medicine and how practicing in this subspecialty has impacted their career in positive and rewarding ways. They discuss how they define success in the treatment of addiction; barriers to treatment, including stigma; and the role of primary care physicians in treating patients who use substances. Dr. Jarvis and Alanzo also discuss factors related to the shortage of addiction medicine specialists and challenges with access to medications for addiction treatment.

Dr. Anika Alvanzo is a graduate of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, holds a master’s degree in biostatistics from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is board certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine. Dr. Alvanzo is a Principal at Health Management Associates (HMA). She is a Distinguished Fellow of ASAM, a past president of the Maryland-DC Society of Addiction Medicine, and currently serves as chair of the ASAM Annual Conference Program Planning Committee and secretary for the ASAM Board of Directors.

Dr. Margaret A. E. Jarvis finished her medical school, psychiatry residency, and addiction medicine fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. She is board certified in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and general psychiatry. An ASAM Distinguished Fellow, she has served on the ASAM Board of Directors and currently is the co-chair of the Quality Improvement Council. She has also worked on the Addiction Medicine Examination in its various forms since 2000. Dr. Jarvis is the chief of the Addiction Medicine Division at Geisinger. She was previously the medical director at Geisinger Marworth, in Waverly, PA.

Thanks for listening. In honor of National Addiction Treatment Week, ASAM is providing the choice of two engaging on-demand 2023 ASAM Annual Conference sessions for free until Dec. 31, 2023. Use code NATW2023 at checkout when you register for either Stimulant Treatment for ADHD: Not Exactly Opioids 2.0, But Close? or Delta What? An Update on Novel Cannabinoids including Delta-8 and 10 THC.

For more podcast episodes and resources, follow #TreatmentWeek and visit www.treataddictionsavelives.org.

Subscribe to The ASAM Weekly, a source of timely, useful news briefings of top stories and current research in the field of addiction medicine. Delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.

 

Links:

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Falls Short of the Need | NEJM Catalyst, Co-authored by Drs. Anika Alvanzo & Margaret Jarvis

ASAM’s eLearning Center

ASAM Clinical Guidelines

Tools and resources for addiction medicine physicians

Resources to empower the addiction medicine workforce