MAT-VA

The mission of the Medication Addiction Treatment Initiative in the VA (MAT-VA) is to improve health outcomes in Veterans with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) through the use of medications—in combination with non-pharmacological treatment approaches—in a wide variety of outpatient and inpatient clinical environments

To accomplish this mission, MAT-VA provides:

  1. Education
  2. Peer to peer mentoring
  3. External facilitation of evidence-based care
  4. Monitoring and provision of guidance's and regulations
  5. Implementation of innovative approaches of clinical care

Sponsor: US Department of Veterans Affairs.

If from Veteran's Affairs, you can access the MAT-VA SharePoint at tinyurl.com/MATVA-VHA

 

MAT-VA JOURNAL CLUB

MAT-VA/SUD Webinars typically occur every 3rd and 4th Wednesday of the month. If you would like to learn more about this webinar series please contact Matthew Dungan at matthew.dungan1@va.gov.  

March 2021

On March 17th the MAT-VA/SUD Journal Club was pleased to host Jeffrey F. Scherrer Ph.D. of the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital. Dr. Scherrer's presentation focused on an article published Fall of 2020 titled, “Depression and Buprenorphine Treatment in Patients with Non-cancer Pain and Prescription Opioid Dependence without Comorbid Substance Use Disorders”. The presentation’s message focused on demonstrating the link between depression and buprenorphine retention in pure prescription opioid dependence while also demonstrating the use of large EHR records in clinical research. Dr. Scherrer and his co-author's research suggest that there is no association between depression and BUP initiation but that there is an association between depression and BUP retention. A recording of this webinar, with accompanying slides and research article is available on the MAT-VA SharePoint.

The March 24th our Journal Club was pleased to hear from Meagan Carr Ph.D. and Kristin L. Serowik Ph.D., who shared their research article titled “Race, Ethnicity, and Clinical Features of Alcohol Use Disorder Among US Military Veterans: Results From the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study”. Drs. Carr and Serowick's presentation focused on sharing identified differences in the clinical features of veterans with AUD by race/ethnicity. In summary, Black and Hispanic veterans with lifetime AUD may experience a higher disease burden relative to white veterans. A recording of this webinar, with accompanying slides and research article is available on the MAT-VA SharePoint. 

February 2021

On Feb 17th the MAT-VA/SUD Journal Club was honored to hear from Dr. Ajay Manhapra of the Hampton VA Medical Center. Dr. Manhapra's presentation focused on an article he co-wrote with Dr. Stefan Kertesz and Dr. Adam Gordon titled, “Nonconsensual Dose Reduction Mandates are Not Justified Clinically or Ethically: An Analysis”. The presentation’s message focused on describing how the manner in which the rise in addiction and overdose involving opioids led to a "clinical recalibration by healthcare providers" and led to incentives and programs that favored forced reductions and opioid tapering by policy making agencies. Dr. Manhapra and his co-authors posit that neither the guideline issued by the CDC or current "clinical evidence can justify or promote such policies as safe or effective". A recording of this webinar, with accompanying slides and research article is available on the MAT-VA SharePoint.

The Feb 24th Journal Club was pleased to hear from Dr. Amanda Midboe who shared her research article titled “The Opioid Epidemic In Veterans Who Were Homeless Or Unstably Housed”. Dr. Midboe's presentation focused on sharing some the identified treatment gaps from the article and also shared details of the current efforts being made to address those gaps (HOPE Study).  A recording of this webinar, with accompanying slides and research article is available on the MAT-VA SharePoint.

January 2021:

On Jan 20th the MAT-VA 2021 Journal Club Season opened with a great presentation from Dr. Stefan Kertesz and Dr. Allyson Varley Ph.D. titled, “Promoting Patient-Centeredness in Opioid Deprescribing: a Blueprint for De-implementation Science”. The presentation’s message focuses on how the tools of implementation science need to be used to measure more than just the number of prescribed pills that have increased or decreased. Such tools should also be measuring whether the current practices used to combat the opioid epidemic are effective and, more critically, advancing patient health outcomes. A recording of this webinar, with accompanying slides and research article is available on the MAT-VA SharePoint.

On Jan 27th MAT-VA was honored to host Dr. Stephen A. Mudra for his finally presentation prior to his retirement from the VA. His presentation, titled “Drug Overdose and Suicide Among Veteran Enrollees in the VHA: Comparison Among Local, Regional, and National Data” was the culmination of over a decade of research and dedication to improving access to SUD treatment with-in his VISN to treat addiction-with Psychiatry and Primary care collaboration to determine the optimal treatment setting. Dr. Mudra discusses the efforts made with-in the NF/SGVHS to developed and implement a biopsychosocial model of pain treatment that included integrating mental health, addiction services, and primary care. The presence of the program, along with a facility policy of tapering opioid prescriptions at the time could explain the relatively reduced suicide rate. A recording of this webinar, with accompanying slides and research article is available on the MAT-VA SharePoint.

The MAT-VA program would like to thank Dr. Mudra for his service to the VA, Veterans, and also wish Dr. Mudra a wonderful and safe retirement!
You can find a list of 2020's MAT-VA's Journal Club webinars here