ICRE News

April 21, 2021

Current ICRE Program Director and KL2 Alum Testifies at U.S. House of Representatives Hearing

J. Deanna Wilson, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh, Director of the Clinical Scientist Track for Residents, and former CTS KL2 Scholar, testified at the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce legislative hearing on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. The hearing, titled "An Epidemic within a Pandemic: Understanding Substance Use and Misuse in America," can be viewed here (Dr. Wilson’s testimony begins at 3:45:22).

Dr. Wilson discussed how the racial and ethnic disparities in overdose rates reflect the failure to prioritize the needs of Black and Latinx communities and address the systemic inequities and structural racism that result in differential access and disparate treatment outcomes. "The worsening overdose crisis in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic has both unmasked significant health inequities but has also created opportunities for us to rethink how we deliver care in ways that (1) prioritizes equity, (2) increases treatment access and (3) increases our workforce’s capacity to treat addiction," she explained. Dr. Wilson’s insightful testimony is critical in the ongoing discussion and legislation of addiction treatment.