NOVEMBER 2023
A recent Kaiser Health News article discusses how the use of fentanyl, xylazine, and stimulants is undercutting the effectiveness of addiction medications such as buprenorphine. IHPS faculty have a long history of researching opioid use disorder, including the use of buprenorphine and other options to help those who seek help breaking their addictions.

Jayme Congdon, MD, MS recently worked with San Francisco State Assemblyperson Matt Haney on legislation that expands access to buprenorphine treatment for opioid addiction to adolescents age 16 and older. The bill, AB 816: Medication Assisted Treatment for Youth, was recently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. Currently, overdose deaths account for 1 out of every 5 deaths of those under 18 in California. With the signing of the bill, California joins nine other states in implementing laws that allow youth 16+ to consent to medical treatment for substance use disorder.

Other recent work includes looking at how to prevent youth opioid addiction. Prevention of Opioid Use and Disorder Among Youth Involved in the Legal System: Innovation and Implementation of Four Studies Funded by the NIDA HEAL Initiative, a study from Marina Tolou-Shams, PhD and colleagues details four potential interventions for youth in the legal system to prevent opioid initiation and opioid use disorder precursors in a Prevention Science article.

In June 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced new regulations allowing all opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to deploy mobile medication units, or methadone vans, to dispense OUD medication treatment outside of clinic walls. Leslie Suen, MD, MAS and colleagues shared in an International Drug Policy article, their qualitative study findings of one mobile van and the potential opioid use disorder treatment uptake the mobile vans may represent.

Clinical practice in hospitals after the "X-waiver" for buprenorphine prescribing was been removed, allowing all clinicians with an active DEA registration for Schedule III medications to prescribe buprenorphine for OUD, is discussed in a Journal of Hospital Medicine article by Oanh Nguyen, MD, MAS and colleagues.
Investiture of Dean Schillinger, MD
into the Andrew B. Bindman Professorship in Primary Care and Health Policy
Dean Schillinger, MD, was installed into the Andrew B. Bindman Professorship in Primary Care and Health Policy on November 2, 2023. Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH, gave a talk, "Does Primary Care Have a Moral Compass", as part of the celebration.

The professorship, jointly held between IHPS and UCSF’s Division of General Internal Medicine, honors an individual who has a commitment to providing high quality care to the urban underserved, conducts ground-breaking health policy research, and has a love for teaching and mentoring residents and fellows.

Photo: Dean Schillinger seated in chair, l-r: Bob Wachter, Bimla Schwarz, Andy Bindman, Talmadge King, Nicole Lurie, Joanne Spetz
Dean Schillinger (l) and Andy Bindman (r)
Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH
IHPS Faculty Spotlight
Alison Cohen is an epidemiologist who does community-driven, policy-relevant applied epidemiology and public health research to study social and environmental determinants of health inequities, and possible interventions that could reduce these inequities. In addition to her primary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, she is also affiliated faculty with the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies.

Much of her research is in partnership with community-based organizations, with the goal of systematically documenting health inequities using community-based participatory research approaches and harnessing the power of research-practice partnerships. She also studies interventions beyond the health sector that could reduce inequities in health and well-being.

Alison has experience doing multidisciplinary research and evaluation on topics including public health, education, youth, civic engagement, and the environment. She conducts research locally, nationally, and internationally, in English, Spanish, and French.
Upcoming Events
IHPS Grand Rounds: For the Long Haul: The Pandemic’s Impact on Practice Orientations and Labor Relations for Registered Nurses

LaTonya Trotter, PhD, MA, MPH
University of Washington

Dec 5, 2023, 12 - 1 pm PT
In-person Mission Hall 2100
Zoom here (passcode 513693)
Research Highlights
Media Mentions
Philip R. Lee Fellowship Fund Endowed
Since its founding 50 years ago, IHPS has been dedicated to training the next generation of leaders in interdisciplinary research to solve our most important health policy issues. In celebration of our 50th anniversary and to honor our founders, Phil Lee and Lew Butler, we established an endowment fund for the Philip R. Lee Fellowship. We are pleased to announce the fund has been endowed! We hope to continue to keep this fund and our fellowship program robust. Please consider donating at our dedicated webpage!