Welcome from the chief

Welcome from the chief

Addiction medicine is a subspecialty that has gained increasing recognition in the last two decades. The overdose crisis has made many aware of the need for treatment of patients who have long been stigmatized and neglected.

The fellowship at Geisinger was one of the very first to gain certification, both by the American Board of Addiction Medicine and by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

The roots of the fellowship are in the compassionate, evidence-based clinical care of the person who has a substance use disorder. Over time, there have been more diverse clinical experiences added to the training, as well as opportunities to participate in research and to gain exposure to policy making. Addiction medicine remains a career that has many different avenues to make large contributions, and an important theme of the fellowship training is opportunity to explore those avenues.

The fellowship faculty are people who have chosen this career because they are dedicated to this work, they love the care of the patients and the evolving science of the medicine. That love of the work shines through the teaching and the support available to the fellows. The graduates of this program make us all proud: Many have gone on to take lead clinical and administrative roles in large organizations, they have all passed the board exam, many continue to work for Geisinger and teach in the fellowship. The health of our nation is improved because of their work.