Addiction Medicine Fellowship - The Loma Linda University Health Education Consortium Addiction Medicine Fellowship (AMF) aims to address the urgent need for highly trained addiction medicine specialists to serve and lead in medically underserved and rural communities through the Innovative Networks and Specialized Programs for Integrated Recovery Education (INSPIRE) program. Substance use disorders (SUDs), particularly opioid use disorder (OUD), continue to have devastating effects on vulnerable populations, exacerbating health disparities and straining healthcare systems. Despite the demand for specialized addiction care, there is a nationwide shortage of trained professionals, particularly in rural and underserved regions. In response to this need, the INSPIRE program will increase the number of physicians who are board-certified specialists in addiction medicine who serve in medically underserved community-based settings, including rural areas by: Increasing the number of addiction medicine specialists trained to practice in medically underserved community-based settings, including rural areas, that integrate primary care with mental health and SUD prevention and treatment services. Increasing fellows' knowledge and ability to assist their patients with referrals to navigate the legal and social systems related to patients' clinical needs or care. Increasing awareness of addiction medicine as a sub-specialty and reduce provider stigma to increase the number of physicians interested in pursuing careers in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry through the provision of clinical rotations that expose medical residents to practice in these specialties and through education and consultation. The program will train a total of 28 fellows (18 grant-funded fellows) over 5 years. Fellows will not only gain hands-on experience in inpatient, outpatient, correctional, and street medicine settings, but will also learn how to lead healthcare teams and guide systems-level changes. Key program components include enhancing depth of training in a Street Medicine rotation and a Rural Rotation Track, Interdisciplinary collaboration on inpatient and outpatient teams, and targeted mentorship in program planning, scholarly activity and career planning as fellows transition into leadership roles. The populations served by this initiative include rural and medically underserved communities in San Bernardino County, California, where healthcare access is limited, and the burden of addiction is disproportionately high. With the INSPIRE program, the AMF is committed to developing a sustainable workforce pipeline, ensuring that a significant percentage of graduates continue working in shortage areas post-training. Request for Funding Priority: Given our existing rotation in an underserved and designated rural facility, we request funding priority #3 under the NOFO guidelines. The expansion of this fellowship will directly contribute to workforce development in high-need areas, ensuring that more individuals with SUDs receive timely, high-quality, and evidence-based care.
