Volume 16 | December 2024 | |
Maine SUD Learning Community Newsletter | |
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Our newly redesigned ME Substance Use Disorders
Learning Community Website is Here!
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We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our completely redesigned Maine Substance Disorders Learning Community website! This transformation represents our commitment to providing a more engaging, user-friendly, and accessible resource for individuals and organizations dedicated to tackling substance use disorders in Maine.
Thank you for being part of the
Maine Substance Use Disorders Learning Community!
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Dr. Isaac Benowitz is the Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, where he works to strengthen connections between healthcare and public health. He provides clinical and epidemiological oversight and support to Maine CDC’s programs with a focus on infectious diseases, healthcare-associated infections, and emergency preparedness. He is a graduate of Columbia University, Yale School of Medicine, and Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health. He completed residencies in Pediatrics, Public Health, & General Preventive Medicine. He worked for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer and a Medical Epidemiologist prior to coming to Maine. |
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Courtney Pladsen DNP, FNP-C | Dr. Courtney Pladsen DNP, FNP-C is the MaineCare Medical Director and has worked in the health care safety net for over 17 years. She is a Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner with a clinical focus on primary care, substance use treatment, and harm reduction for people experiencing homelessness. She received her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her Masters and Doctoral degrees from Georgetown University where her research explored screening and addressing social determinants of health in primary care. Courtney was a fellow with the RWJF Culture of Health Leader program from 2018-2022, the Clinical Director at the National Health Care for the Homeless Council from 2020-2023, and is currently the MaineCare Medical Director. While she continues to practice clinically one day a week at Greater Portland Health’s Health Care for the Homeless Clinic, Courtney is passionate about improving health systems to provide equitable care for the most marginalized individuals in Maine. | | |
SUD Learning Community Journal Club | |
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Greetings,
Maine has been spared from a high burden of HIV, making transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID) relatively uncommon. However, things can change quickly. With this year’s
HIV cluster in Penobscot County, we are reminded of the need to make PrEP recommendations to any of our patients who inject drugs -as well as to any patient at risk of sexual transmission. The chart below describes PrEP options available now and in the pipeline. A major decision point for most patients is whether to use oral or injectable medication. The former is far more likely to fail due to barriers to taking daily meds, but the latter carries a small risk of resistance to integrase inhibitors – which are common in first-line HIV treatment. That resistance can occur with perfect administration but can also occur with missed injections and in the one-year “tail” period after discontinuation. As such, a supportive system to keep patients engaged and medication consistently available is essential for taking advantage of the injectable option.
Read on to look briefly at a seminal study comparing oral versus long-acting injectable PrEP and the impact of delayed dosing on resistance. I hope it will help you to become more comfortable talking to patients about HIV PrEP.
Andrea Truncali, MD MPH
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | | |
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Does the ME SUD Learning Community have any resources on SUD related Infectious Disease? | |
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3rd Annual ME SUD LC Conference
Sebasco Harbor Resort
Phippsburg, ME & Virtually
Brought to you by the Maine Substance Use Disorder Learning Community,
funded by Maine DHHS. Coordinated by CCSME.
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January 8, 2025 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Speaker: Christine De Matteo, DO
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WEBINAR VIDEO & PODCAST RESOURCES | | |
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HIV & SUD in Maine: How one country's recent HIV cluster highlights important links between SUD & HIV | |
Speakers: Isaac Benowitz, MD | Courtney Plasden, DNP, FNP-BC | |
Drs Benowitz and Pladsen describe the current HIV cluster in Penobscot County, and the links between HIV and SUD risks. They will describe efforts currently underway to help address HIV testing and treatment in that community, and will describe why it is important that all providers in Maine have an increased awareness of HIV risks, particularly in those involved with treating individuals with SUD. They will also introduce key concepts of HIV testing and prevention for providers across the state. | |
Online Self Paced Courses | |
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Pressed for time?
Enroll in one of our convenient online self-paced courses today!
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Worthy – Navigating Recovery and Healing
by Jamie Lovely
Reilly Harvey grew up in a lobstering family in Owls Head, Maine. She recalls her youth fondly, spending it with her parents and brother on the mainland and nearby islands. While her household was supportive and nurturing, it was also impacted by a family history of substance use.
At 14, Reilly had her first drink and attended her first recovery meeting, starting a 19-year struggle with mental health and alcohol addiction. She did well in her studies and built a life that prioritized travel and rich experiences.
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Please visit the ME SUD Learning Community website for upcoming Events and Resources. | | | | | |
