Program Overview
The Addiction Medicine Fellowship is a newly accredited diverse one-year program open to physicians who have completed an ACGME-accredited residency who are interested in a career providing care to those with substance use disorders. In collaboration with our community partner Meridian Healthcare, addiction medicine fellows will receive comprehensive training in the treatment of patients with substance abuse disorders.
All fellows will begin training with one month research rotation focused on structured readings and supervised activities with the ultimate objective being creation of a publishable paper, abstract for a poster or presentation at a scientific meeting. Fellows will have core rotations including inpatient detox, residential treatment, hospital consults, IOP, pain clinic, outpatient chronic MAT and rotate through the special population's clinic caring for pregnant woman and those with chronic infectious disease who struggle with substance abuse.
In addition, fellows will spend one month working in the adolescent outpatient substance abuse treatment program and IOP at Akron Children’s Hospital. All fellows will follow patients longitudinally in their own weekly outpatient clinic, participate in weekly didactics and have the opportunity to teach residents and medical students who rotate through the addiction medicine service.
The Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital Addiction Medicine Fellowship was built from the ground up as part of both an organizational and community grass roots movement to address an unmet need for well-trained physicians specializing addiction medicine in the Mahoning Valley.
At the time the fellowship was first proposed in 2019, there was only one board-certified addiction medicine specialist practicing in a three-county-wide area. Internally the drive to create the fellowship was spearheaded by the system's Chief Opioid Officer M. Frank Beck, DDS, its Chief Medical Officer James Kravec, MD and President of Mercy Health Youngstown Foundation Paul Homick. All were instrumental in recruiting John Sorboro, MD, a fellow in the American Society of Addiction Medicine, back to the Youngstown area to spearhead the fellowship while working with Chief Academic Officer Ron Rhodes, MD.
Clinical rotations are established with Meridian Healthcare, a local provider of substance use disorder treatment, and Akron Children’s Hospital. This ensures a diverse clinical experience for fellows allowing them to assess and treat individuals with substance use disorders in numerous inpatient and outpatient settings.
Program Mission
To produce well rounded, empathic and skilled physicians who will work in this or similar communities and who will devote themselves to the care of individuals struggling with substance use disorders.
Accreditation Status
Program Name: Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program
ACGME ID number: 4043840006
Length of Training: One year
Program Size: Two fellows