Dr. Kathleen Whaley is an MD with years of experience as an emergency care and urgent care physician. Now strongly focusing on addiction medicine, Dr. Kathleen Whaley is a member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
ASAM was established in 1954 as a professional society that represents medical professionals in the field of addiction medicine. The organization is committed to continuously improving the quality of addiction treatment through the education of physicians. In October 2018, ASAM launched the Fundamentals of Addiction Medicine CME Program, a 40-hour program that provides physicians and primary care professionals with the knowledge they need to recognize addiction as a disease and improves patient access to evidence-based treatments.
Addiction places a tremendous burden on America’s health system. As many as 20.5 million Americans struggle with addiction. However, only 10 percent of these people receive specialized treatment. Part of the problem is that medical care professionals, who often receive patients with addictions, receive little education on addiction during medical training. ASAM’s CME program seeks to correct that.
The online program was developed by leading addiction physician specialists to arm physicians, nurses, and other care providers with knowledge about addiction and its treatment. It also covers pain management, opioids, and treatment of opioid use disorder while providing a networking platform for physicians to discuss treatment issues. Physicians who complete the program receive 40 CME credits and a certificate.
