Expanding Telehealth to Optimize Buprenorphine Access and Mitigate Rural Treatment Barriers
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- Non-Member - $39
- Regular Member - $29
- Retired - $29
- Early Career Physician - $29
- Resident - $19
- Student - $19
- Associate - $19
- ASAM Staff - Free!
- International Member - $29
- Emeritus Member - $29
- Provisional Member - $29
- Fellow Member - $29
- Honorary Member - $29
- CRT Member - $29
Expanding Telehealth to Optimize Buprenorphine Access and Mitigate Rural Treatment Barriers
Recorded: Thursday, April 23, 2026 to Sunday, April 26, 2026
On-Demand Session
Overview
This 45-minute on-demand session from the ASAM 57th Annual Conference addresses expanding telehealth for buprenorphine access in rural communities, exploring sustainable models and patient-centered implementation approaches.
Explore how innovative telehealth models are expanding access to buprenorphine treatment and reducing barriers for rural and underserved populations. This interactive session features a panel of clinicians, navigators, and program leaders sharing real-world strategies, lessons learned, and implementation tools to improve equity and retention in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) care. Breakout discussions will help participants tailor solutions to their own settings and populations.
The target audience for this Advanced level session includes physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, other clinicians, researchers, residents, fellows, and students.
This session addresses the following ACGME Competencies: Systems-based Practice.
This session addresses the following IPEC Competencies:Teams and Teamwork.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, learners will be able to:
- Describe telehealth models expanding MOUD access in rural, regional, and urban settings to identify effective and sustainable practices.
- Evaluate strategies for initiating and retaining patients on buprenorphine via telehealth, with emphasis on improving continuity of care in rural and underserved communities.
- Design an action plan to implement equitable, patient-centered telehealth approaches that address barriers unique to rural populations.
Registration Rates
| Rate Description | Rate |
| ASAM Member | $29 |
| Non-Member | $39 |
| Associate Member | $19 |
| Resident Member* | $19 |
| Student Member* | $19 |
*Residents, Fellows-in-training, Interns, and Students must join ASAM to receive a discounted registration rate. Click here to become an ASAM member. National and Chapter membership dues apply. There is no charge for Students to become a Member, but verification of student status is required.
Membership Question? Call ASAM at 1.301.656.3920, email us, or view the ASAM website for more information.
Refunds & Cancellations
All ASAM eLearning Center refund requests must be made in writing to education@asam.org within 90 days of purchase. Those requesting refunds for courses that are in progress will receive partial refunds or e-Learning Center credit. Automatic full refunds will be made for any course with a live-course component that has been cancelled.
Registration Open: 05/25/2026 - 04/25/2029
User Access Closed: 05/25/2029
Course Instructions
- Click on the Contents tab to watch the on-demand recording.
- Click Complete Post Test to answer multiple choice questions. You will have 10 attempts to pass and must answer 4 out of 5 questions correctly.
- Click Complete Evaluation to provide valuable activity feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
- Click the button Claim Medical Credits in the box titled Claim Credits & Certificate. Choose the type of credit and click submit. Click the button View/Print Certificate to save or print your certificate. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the ASAM eLearning Center, clicking Dashboard, and clicking Transcript/Achievements.
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Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone, MD
Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Jeanmarie Perrone, MD is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, the Director of the Division of Medical Toxicology and the founding Director of the Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Perrone has led numerous investigations and initiatives in opioid stewardship and ED treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) with buprenorphine. She serves on several regional and national task forces and advisory committees with the State of Pennsylvania, the CDC and FDA addressing judicious opioid use and MOUD treatment access. She has advocated at the state and national level for harm reduction and ED treatment for OUD and is a co-investigator in a 30 site NIDA sponsored trial of ED buprenorphine. Dr. Perrone has been featured in prominent news media including the New York Times, USA Today and National Public Radio and published in the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA . She has won numerous awards for education and mentorship of students, residents and fellows and is boarded in emergency medicine, medical toxicology and addiction medicine.
No Relevant Financial Disclosures.
Michael J. Lynch
MD
Dr. Michael Lynch is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine, Medical Toxicology, and Addiction Medicine. Dr. Lynch graduated from the University of Notre Dame and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine before completing his residency in Emergency Medicine and fellowship in Medical Toxicology at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Lynch works in the Emergency Departments at UPMC Presbyterian and Mercy Hospitals. The Toxicology service at UPMC is one of the busiest in the country, seeing patients at 5 Pittsburgh hospitals as well as providing inpatient addiction and telemedicine treatment. Dr. Lynch is the Medical Director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center and of Substance Use Disorder Services at UPMC Health Plan while continuing to serve on the Boards of Directors for the PA College of Emergency Physicians and the American Association of Poison Control Centers. He has implemented naloxone distribution, emergency department buprenorphine induction, as well as inpatient buprenorphine and methadone initiation and maintenance pathways within the UPMC system. Dr. Lynch began the inpatient addiction medicine consultation service at UPMC with a multidisciplinary team, a poison center based withdrawal and addiction treatment support hotline, and, most recently, implemented a telemedicine addiction bridge clinic serving the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He served on the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Nicole Gastala, MD
Physician (UI Health/MSHC) and Medical Director (SUPR/IDHS)
UI Health Mile Square Health Center and the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery of the Illinois Department of Human Services
Nicole Gastala, MD is a graduate of Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago; she completed her residency at the University of Iowa in family medicine. Dr. Gastala is board certified in family medicine and addiction medicine. She is currently the Director of Behavioral Health and Addiction at Miles Square Health Center, an FQHC affiliated with the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System in Chicago, Illinois. In January 2021, Dr Gastala joined the Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Division of the Illinois Department of Human Services as the Medical Director.
Nicole O'Donnell, BA CRS
project manager/certified recovery specialist
upenn
Nicole O’Donnell is a Certified Recovery Specialist, recognized by the Philadelphia Inquirer for excellence in patient care for her work as a peer at Penn Medicine’s Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy, which includes supporting patients at Penn Presbyterian, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the Hospital of the University of Penn. Ms. O’Donnell has extensive experience working with individuals with Substance Use Disorder, and their families. Her work currently includes overseeing a virtual buprenorphine bridge clinic which reaches out to those experiencing being unsheltered, substance use, and mental health barriers.
Eric Weintraub, MD
MD
University of Maryland
Margaret Lowenstein, MD
Assistant Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Gilly Gehri, MBE
Project Manager
University of Pennsylvania
Accreditation & Credit Designation Statements
Joint Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, the American Society of Addiction Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physicians
The American Society of Addiction Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of .75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses
This activity awards .75 Nursing contact hours.
PAs
ASAM has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category .75 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for .75 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until 05/25/2029. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
Social Workers
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, ASAM is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive .75 general continuing education credits.
IPCE Credit
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive .75 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.
California Association for Drug/Alcohol Educators (CAADE)
This educational program is approved by CAADE: #CP40 999 1225.
California Association of DUI Treatment Centers (CADTP)
This educational program is approved by CADTP: #205.
California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP)
This educational program is approved by CCAPP: # OS-20-330-0227.
Other Professions - Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
Upon completion of the activity and online evaluation, all other participants may request a certificate of participation. Participants may submit this certificate of participation to their professional organization/institute as documentation for completing this accredited continuing activity.
Maintenance of Certification (MOC) or Continuing Certification Programs (CCP)
This activity is designed to meet the requirements for MOC/CCP for several primary physician boards and for state licensing CME requirements. MOC Credit is only reported and designated for ABA, ABIM, ABP and ABS. By completing the online credit claim and evaluation, the learner permits ASAM to report credits to the appropriate Board. Learn more.
American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA)
This activity offers up to .75 CME credits, of which .75 credits contribute the patient safety CME component of the American Board of Anesthesiology’s redesigned Maintenance of Certification in AnesthesiologyTM (MOCA®) program, known as MOCA 2.0®. Please consult the ABA website, www.theABA.org, for a list of all MOCA 2.0 requirements.
Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology® and MOCA® are registered certification marks of the American Board of Anesthesiology®
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to .75 Medical Knowledge MOC points and patient safety MOC credit in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn up to .75 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit.
American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM)
This activity has been designed to satisfy the Lifelong Professional Development requirements of The American Board of Preventive Medicine’s Continuing Certification (CCP) requirements. These credits are not reported directly to ABPM. Please save your certificate for your records.
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)
This activity has been designed to satisfy the CME requirements of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology’s Continuing Certification (CC) requirements. These credits are not reported directly to ABPN. Please save your certificate for your records.
American Board of Surgery (ABS)
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME requirement of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada will recognize activities registered for CME for MOC as meeting the requirements for Royal College MOC Program Section 3 (Self-Assessment Programs) credits. Visit CME that Counts for Royal College MOC for more information.
Disclosure Information
In accordance with the disclosure policies of ASAM and Joint Accreditation, the effort is made to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all accredited continuing education activities. These policies include identifying and mitigating all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies for those involved in the creation and dissemination of accredited continuing education. Click here to view the full disclosure listing.
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