Innovators Awards - 2024

Wakeman, an internist, leads testing, evaluation and implementation of the Bridge Clinic model, a novel approach to substance abuse disorder treatment developed by Boston-based Mass General Brigham in 2016. Bridge clinics welcome patients in all stages of use and offer immediate outpatient care to help individuals stabilize and move to longer-term care. The care model, which reframes addiction as a public health and medical issue instead of one that requires disciplinary action, is now used in other healthcare organizations across the country. In the past two years, the four Bridge clinics operated by MGB have increased access to substance use disorder care among Black, Hispanic and non-English-speaking patients.