Addiction Medicine Fellowship - Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) proposes a HRSA “Expanding Access to Addiction Treatment: Training Specialists for Integrated Addiction Care in Underserved Communities” project to expand its ACGME-accredited Addiction Medicine Fellowship program to address the critical shortage of addiction specialists and the growing opioid crisis in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, New Jersey. This region, the historic epicenter of the state’s overdose crisis, faces significant challenges related to substance use disorders (SUDs) and limited access to specialized care, particularly within medically underserved communities (MUCs). This project directly addresses the need for more addiction medicine specialists trained to serve in MUCs, to increase fellows’ knowledge and ability to assist their patients with referrals to navigate the legal and social systems related to patients’ clinical needs or care, and increase awareness of addiction medicine as a sub-specialty and reduce provider stigma. The proposed expanded fellowship program will train physicians in integrated, interprofessional, team-based care, focused on at-risk populations for OUD and other SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services, including medication. The program will emphasize clinical training in MUCs through its established partnership with the Booker Family Health Center, coordinate care in primary care and psychiatry settings, and offer telehealth services. Education on psychosocial assessment, social support resources, and the legal aspects of substance use will prepare fellows to navigate complex patient needs. By increasing the number of addiction-trained physicians, expanding access to comprehensive treatment services, and reducing stigma, JSUMC will make a significant impact on SUD morbidity and improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities affected by addiction in the central New Jersey. JSUMC requests funding Priority 1: Team-Based Care and funding preference Qualification 1: High MUC Placement Rate.
