This past June, the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine (ACAAM) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the Executive Office of the President convened leaders from medical education, national medical organizations, large integrated health systems, and key federal agencies, as well as emerging addiction medicine fellowship programs and interested institutions. Richard Ries, MD, traveled to the White House as a representative for UW Medicine.

ACAAM has been the leader in bringing addiction medicine into American Board of Medical Specialties and ACGME recognition as a subspecialty, and in assisting in the establishment of more than 60 addiction medicine fellowships. While UW Medicine has had an Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship, ably led by Andrew Saxon, MD, for many years and currently led by Jonathan Buchholz, MD, more Addiction Medicine MDs are needed. Joe Merrill, MD, MPH, from Harborview Primary Care is leading an application for an Addiction Medicine fellowship based at Harborview Adult Medicine Clinic. The White House meeting announced a number of actions and bills in progress to expand Addiction Medicine Fellowships.