Connecting Care

Access to safe and reliable housing has an enormous influence on a person’s health outcomes and ability to meet their needs. However, structural inequities and discriminatory practices associated with substance use can prevent or deter many people who use drugs from participating in formal housing programs and compound the lack of affordable housing. This month, the BMC team asks Dr. Karim Khan about his experience practicing street medicine and providing care at a local harm reduction h...

A collision of drug criminalization, inadequate and discriminatory housing policies, and insufficient mental health and substance use care services has fostered open drug scene encampments in communities around the world. Open drug scene encampments concentrate social, medical, and public health challenges that include HIV transmission and opioid overdose. This month, the Boston Medical Center team talked with Dr. Jessie Gaeta, a national expert who has been a primary care and addiction medic...

Throughout our Connecting Care podcast series, we’ve focused on different communities of adults with HIV and/or substance use disorders (SUDs). One population we haven’t yet covered is the adolescent and young adult population. Treating youth with SUDs requires additional expertise and insight into their physical, emotional, mental, and social development. This month, Dr. Jessica Taylor talked with Dr. Sarah Bagley - a researcher and the Medical Director of the Catalyst Clinic at Boston Medic...

Methadone can be a life-changing treatment option for people with opioid use disorder. However, a number of federal and state regulations and logistical requirements can inhibit a person’s ability to start and/or maintain methadone treatment. There are regulation exceptions that can help people get the essential care they need, and some providers are using these exceptions to initiate methadone while still complying with the regulatory boundaries.This month’s podcast covers current regulation...

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights statute that was enacted in 1990 to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination by employers, state and local government, and public-serving entities. The rights of people with HIV and opioid use disorder are protected under the ADA, yet these rights are frequently violated. This month, the Boston Medical Center team talks with Greg Dorchak, Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Rights Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s...

Building on last month’s episode about providing HIV and substance use care for people who are incarcerated, this month the Boston Medical Center team talks with Dr. Ricky Cruz, a primary care physician and addiction specialist who frequently provides care for people transitioning out of incarceration. During the conversation, Dr. Cruz describes how race shapes the systems and policies around opioid use disorder; shares the challenges of providing care for people recently released from jail o...

Navigating the HIV and substance use systems of care presents a number of unique challenges, many of which can become more complex depending on a person’s housing, employment, mental health, or economic situation. One system that immediately complicates a person’s access to HIV and/or substance use care is the jail or prison system. This month, the BMC team talks with Dr. Alysse Wurcel, a doctor who provides HIV and substance use care in Massachusetts jails. Among a robust breadth of topics, ...

In response to an increased risk of overdose, several communities in the U.S. are considering establishing spaces for people to use substances safely. These spaces have been referred to as Supervised Injection Facilities, safe consumption spaces, harm reduction spaces, or overdose prevention sites. Over the past few years, these spaces have garnered more support for their proven ability to reduce overdoses and meet other medical and psychosocial needs for people who use them. This month, our ...