Why do we treat addiction so differently than we do all other chronic diseases? That's a question that Dr. Joe Sepulveda has been asking for years. A board-certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction treatment at the Family Health Centers of San Diego, he founded the organization’s medications for addiction treatment (MAT) program. He urges primary care providers to embrace addiction treatment as they do diabetes, hypertension, and other common chronic diseases: without bias or judgement. 

Here’s where you can learn more about the people, places, and ideas in this episode:

• Dr. Joe Sepulveda, assistant medical director at Family Health Centers of San Diego
• Addiction Treatment Starts Here, CCI's portfolio of programs that are working to curb the opioid epidemic in California
• Treating Addiction as a Chronic Disease: 10 Key Takeaways for Primary Care Providers
• Tackling America’s Deadliest Drug Epidemic: How CCI Helped Transform Addiction Treatment During the Pandemic  
• What are Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder?

FYI: We’re taking a summer break from August 23 to September 6. During this organization-wide closure, CCI staff are planning to “unplug” together — rescheduling activities, snoozing notifications, and turning off screens. To learn why rest is a key part of our pandemic recovery, listen to this podcast episode. Health Pilots will return on September 8.

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