CPDD honored Jim Sorensen (who served as an MPI for the Western States Node of the CTN) and made the first James L. Sorensen Distinguished Treatment and Service Mentor award to Jeffery Samet, MD for his scientific leadership and his mentorship of addiction medicine physicians. Dr. Sorensen’s widow (Laurel Koepernik) and Jim’s brothers (Roger and Bryan) hosted a reception to present the award to Dr. Samet. The annual award remembers Jim Sorensen’s contributions to CPDD, his many years of mentoring clinicians and investigators, and his leadership in the development of Addiction Health Services and Implementation Research. Kim Hoffman, Todd Korthuis, Carmen Masson, and Dennis McCarty represented the Western States Node…

The Appalachian Node has two new publications to report: Bulls HW, Hamm M, Wasilewski J, Olejniczak D, Bell SG, Liebschutz JM. “To prescribe or not to prescribe, that is the question”: Perspectives on opioid prescribing for chronic, cancer-related pain from clinicians who treat pain in survivorship. Cancer. 2024 Apr 3. doi: 10.1002/cncr.35299. PMID: 38567685. Jennings LK, Lander L, Lawdahl T, McClure EA, Moreland A, McCauley JL, Haynes L, Matheson T, Jones R, Robey TE, Kawasaki S, Moschella P, Raheemullah A, Miller S, Gregovich G, Waltman D, Brady KT, Barth KS. Characterization of peer support services for substance use disorders in 11 US emergency departments in 2020: findings from a NIDA clinical trials network…

CTN-0129 Team presents at National Indian Health Board Conference Investigators and collaborating community partners for CTN-0129 “The Great Plains Initiative” presented a discussion panel about the study at the National Indian Health Board conference on May 22, 2024 in Rapid City, SD. The panel was moderated by Brynn Luger, PhD and included Lead Investigator Donald Warne, MD, MPH, T. John Winhusen, PhD, Gene Tyon, MA of Oaye Luta Okolakiciye, Barbara Dull Knife, BS of Wakanyeia Gluwitayan Otipi, and Ellen Durkin MSW of South Dakota Urban Indian Health. Allison Kelliher, MD joined the panel via Zoom. CTN-0129 Team Dr. Warne CTN-0129 Great Plains Initiative Panel

Greater Intermountain Node (GIN) Medical Clinician, Jasmin Charles, MPAS, PA-C, has been awarded the 2024 Physician Associate (PA) of the Year by the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA). Read the AAPA PA of the Year Award announcement about Jasmin here. The AAPA PA of the Year Award honors PA’s who demonstrate exemplary service to the community; exemplify the PA profession’s philosophy of providing accessible, quality healthcare to all; and furthers the image of the profession in a positive, meaningful way. Jasmin is the Clinical Director of the SUPeRAD (Substance Use & Pregnancy, Recovery, Addiction, Dependence) clinic, Co-Investigator for the ELEVATE Maternal Center of Excellence, a visiting lecturer and lead…

On April 29, 2024, the Southern Consortium Node granted the inaugural Outstanding Public Leadership Award to Sara Goldsby, Director of the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. (Pictured: Drs. Kelly Barth, Kathleen Brady, Connie Guille with Ms. Sara Goldsby.) The award was established to recognize state and local government officials who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of policy and practice in the field of addiction. Ms. Goldsby has been a tireless advocate for South Carolinians struggling with addiction, leading the state’s response to the opioid crisis and serving as the President of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors since 2021.…

IMPROVE Studies in Progress!  In October 2023 the NIH IMPROVE initiative approved funds to conduct four projects under the overall leadership of Dr. John Winhusen, current Lead Investigator of the CTN 0080 MOMs study.  CTN investigators are preparing to conduct three research studies and one dissemination activity, described below:  CTN 0150: Personally-Tailored Opioid-overdose and Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) Education (TOME; LI – Winhusen, OVN): This study is an intent-to-treat, open-label, randomized controlled trial planning to (1) evaluate the ability of TOME to increase MOUD and opioid-overdose knowledge in Pregnant and Post-partum (PP) persons; and (2) evaluate the ability of TOME to decrease MOUD-related internalized stigma and expected difficulty…

Members of the Appalachian Node co-authored a manuscript with other CTN members that was published in the journal of Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. The title of the paper is “Characterization of Peer Support Services for Substance Use Disorders in 11 US Emergency Departments in 2020: Findings from a NIDA Clinical Trials Network Site Selection Process.” Authors are Lindsey Jennings; Laura Lander; Tricia Lawdahl; Erin McClure; Angela Moreland; Jenna McCauley; Louise Haynes; Timothy Matheson; Richard Jones; Thomas Robey; Sarah Kawasaki; Phillip Moschella; Amer Raheemullah; Suzette Miller; Gina Gregovich; Deborah Waltman; Kathleen Brady; Kelly Barth. This CTN collaboration looked at site surveys collected from 11 sites across the county with Emergency…

2024 Emerging Leader Awards from the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies The Health Systems Node is pleased to announce and congratulate Jennifer Bobb, PhD Associate Scientific Investigator in the Biostatistics Division at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, on receiving one of the 2024 Emerging Leader Awards from the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies.  This award is given to up to 8 early career statisticians (international award eligible for all statisticians) who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the field of statistical science.  Dr. Bobb was specifically recognized for her “significant methodological and applied contributions to the field of environmental biostatistics; for impactful research at the interface of cutting-edge…