Harm Reduction is Healthcare: Decreasing Risk and Stigma With People Who Use Drugs

Friday, April 25, 2025

10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Presenter(s)

Ruchi V. Shah, DO

Assistant Professor General Internal Medicine, Medical Director of Wakefield Hospital Addiction Medicine Consult Service
Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein School of Medicine
New York, New York
Emily Regier, MD

Attending Physician/Assistant Professor
Boston Medical Center/Boston University Chobanian & Avedesian School of Medicine
Boston, Massachusetts
Stephen P. Murray, MPH, NRP

Director, SafeSpot Overdose Hotline / Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor
Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center / Boston University School of Public Health
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Theresa Rolley, MA

Wellness and Recovery Advocate Supervisor
Boston Medical Center
Quincy, Massachusetts
Betsy Craft, BS, CPFS

Policy Director
Colorado Drug Policy Coalition
Denver, Colorado
Karrin Weisenthal, MD, MHS

Assistant Professor Emergency Medicine, Med Director ED Addiction Consult Team, Assoc Med Director Faster Paths
Boston Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts
Alexander Y. Walley, MD, MSc

Professor of Medicine
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Boston, Massachusetts

This session features physicians, Harm Reductionists, and Wellness and Recovery Advocate Supervisor. Didactics will focus on incorporating harm reduction during hospitalization including distribution of safer drug use supplies and mitigating stigma. Breakout sessions include: how to use different drug use supplies, optimizing harm reduction on hospital discharge and in the community, barriers and facilitators of implementing safer use supplies inpatient, and the impact of having a Wellness and Recovery Advocate Supervisor as a core member of the adduction consult team.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to:

incorporate harm reduction including safer drug use supplies into clinical practice when caring for people who use substances in the hospital and demonstrate strategies to do so.
reduce stigma when caring for people who use drugs admitted to the hospital.
describe the importance of interprofessional teams including individuals with lived/living experience as core members of an addiction consult service in providing true person-centered care.

Disclosure(s):

Ruchi V. Shah, DO: No financial relationships to disclose

Emily Regier, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

Stephen P. Murray, MPH, NRP: No financial relationships to disclose

Theresa Rolley, BA, MA, Facilitator/Consultant r: No financial relationships to disclose

Lisa Raville: No financial relationships to disclose

Betsy Craft, BS, CPFS: No financial relationships to disclose

Karrin Weisenthal, MD/MHS: No financial relationships to disclose