Research

Oblath, R., Twohy E., Higdon C., Duncan A., Folk J.B., Schiel M.A., Grewel. S., Hawks J.L., Martinez W., Coble K., Edwards S., Goetz A., Ramtekkar U., Kulkarni C.A., Khan S., Doan B.T., Nallapula K., Fornari V.M., Fortuna L.R., Myers K. (2023). The Provision and Utilization of Telehealth Within Academic Mental Health Clinics in North America During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAACAP Open.

Reinblatt, S.P., Coble, K., Williams, J.L.L., Cotton, A. & Bettencourt, A.F. (2022). Characteristics of Primary Care Providers’ Consultations with a Statewide Child Psychiatry Access Program Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaclp.2022.01.004 

Cotton, A., Riddle, M., Reinblatt, S.P., & Bettencourt, A.F. (2021). Characteristics of Providers Using a Child Psychiatric Access Program in Maryland. Psychiatry Services https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000292  

Bettencourt A, Allen C, Coble K, Hibbert T, Sarver D. Trends in Mental Health Concerns Reported to Two Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychiatric Services. 2021 Nov 29. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202100479.

Belcher A, Coble K, Cole T, Welsh C, Whitney A, Weintraub E. Buprenorphine Induction in a Rural Maryland Detention Center During COVID-19: Implementation and Preliminary Outcomes of a Novel Telemedicine Treatment Program for Incarcerated Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder. Front. Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 28.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.703685. 

Weintraub E, Seneviratne C, Anane J, Coble K, Magidson J, Kattakuzhy S, Greenblatt A, Welsh C, Pappas A, Ross T, Belcher A. Mobile Telemedicine for Buprenorphine Treatment in Rural Populations With Opioid Use Disorder. JAMA Network Open. 2021 Aug 27;4(9):e2123374. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.23374.

Weintraub E, Greenblatt AD, Chang J, Welsh CJ, Berthiaume AP, Goodwin SR, Arnold R, Himelhoch SS, Bennett ME, Belcher AM. Outcomes for patients receiving telemedicine-delivered medication-based treatment for opioid use disorder: a retrospective chart review. Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems. April 2021;23(2):5-12. PMID: 33551692; PMCID: PMC7861202.

Cole TO, Robinson D, Kelley-Freeman A, Greenblatt AD, Gandhi D, Weintraub E, Belcher AM (2021). Patient Satisfaction of Telepsychiatry-Based Treatment with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder. Frontiers in Public Health. 2021 Jan 21;8:557275. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.557275. PMID: 33553083; PMCID: PMC7859509.

Sweeney S, Coble K, Connors E, Rebbert-Franklin K, Welsh C, Weintraub E. Program development and implementation outcomes of a statewide addiction consultation service: Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS). Subst Abus. 2020 Aug 19:1-8. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2020.1803179. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32814004.

Yang TY, Weintraub E, Haffajee JD (2018). Telemedicine’s Role in Addressing the Opioid Crisis. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 93(9): 1177–1180. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.07.001

Weintraub E, Greenblatt AD, Chang J, Himelhoch S, Welsh C (2018). Expanding Access to Buprenorphine Treatment in Rural Areas with the Use of Telemedicine. American Journal of Addiction Psychiatry 27(8): 612-17. DOI: 10.1111/ajad.12805.

Federal Communications Commission

10/15/21-10/15/22
PI: Gloria Reeves, MD; Co-PI: Niharika Khanna, MBBS, MD, DGO
The grant supports health care providers and their provision of telehealth services to patients during the pandemic. The team will purchase laptops, internet services, mobile telehealth carts, equipment for vaccine research, and vaccine hotline and remote patient monitoring equipment. Psychiatry Information Services (IS) will deploy the laptops, as well as build and deploy the telemedicine carts across the Department. In addition, IS will help implement the remote patient monitoring portal with the health care providers. Recognition is also attributed to Sarah Edwards, DO, and the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

MACs for MOMS

PI: Christopher Welsh, MD
The Maryland Addiction Consultation Service for Maternal Opioid Misuse (MACS for MOMs) supports maternal health providers in addressing the needs of their pregnant and postpartum patients with substance use disorders (SUD), particularly opioid use disorder (OUD). MACS for MOMs, an expansion of the Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS), is a statewide program that is free to all providers.

D.C. Addiction Consultation Service (DACS)

PI: Eric Weintraub, MD
3/22/21
The Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS) will expand consultation and training services to prescribers across the District of Columbia (D.C.) to support primary care and specialty prescribers in addressing the needs of their patients with substance use disorders and chronic pain management. Services include free phone consultation, resource and referral identification, and education and training opportunities. This expansion of MACS services into D.C. will be administered by the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and funded by the District of Columbia Government, DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (HRLA), Pharmaceutical Control Division (PCD). Through a substance use warmline, resources will contribute to HRLA’s objective to provide addiction medicine consultation to providers that are managing complex patients with addiction and behavioral health issues. Access to this type of consultation will improve safety and enhance treatment and care across D.C., all while supporting providers and their practices.

The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE Foundation)

co-PIs: Eric Weintraub, Annabelle (Mimi) Belcher
04/01/20-04/30/22
"Treatment with Buprenorphine through Telemedicine in a Rural Criminal Justice Setting"
Addiction medicine specialists at the University of Maryland will be leveraging telemedicine to deliver medications for opioid use disorder to inmates at three rural detention centers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and will be working to ensure continuity of care for inmates upon release -- when they are at high risk of overdoses.

Click here for more information on Justice Telemedicine Across Maryland (JTEAM).

COVID-19 Emergency Relief Funding

PI: Dana Cunningham, PhD
2021
The Prince George’s School Mental Health Initiative (PGSMHI), directed by Dr. Dana Cunningham of the National Center for School Mental Health, was recently named as one of the recipients of the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Funding from the Maryland Community Health Resource Commission for $43,083. This emergency funding will allow the PGSMHI to expand access to telemental health services to students in need by purchasing Chromebooks, WiFi hot spots, and headphones for students in need. In addition, all of the students enrolled in the PGSMHI will receive Mental Health Toolkits. The funding will also allow the PGSMHI staff to upgrade their current telehealth equipment.

CareFirst BlueCross/BlueShield 

PI: Eric Weintraub
2018-2020
“Expanding Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment in Rural Areas with the Use of Telemedicine”

Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program

PI: Eric Weintraub
2017-2020
"Somewhere to Go: Enhancing Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment in Rural Maryland"

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

PI: Eric Weintraub 
MTU Initiative

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Evidence-Based Tele-Behavioral Health Network Program

PI: Eric Weintraub
2018-2021

Tele Psychiatry Services, State of Maryland Behavioral Health Administration

PI: Eric Weintraub
2020-2024

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Telehealth Network Grant Program
2020-2024

Elliott, M., Belcher, A., Smith, D., Cole, T., Sweeney, S., Coble, K., Gandhi, D., Weintraub, E. “Promoting a patient-centered treatment approach and attitude change among providers treating substance use disorders” Poster Presented at: Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction 2022 Conference, November 10, 2022.

Huang, V., Sweeney, S., Coble, K., Weintraub, E. “Tracking Utilization of Data 2000 Waivered Practitioners: Efforts of the Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS)” Poster Presented at: American Public Health Association, November 6, 2022.

Sweeney, S., Huang, V., Brown, V., Coble, K. Weintraub, E. “Implementation Outcomes of a Statewide Addiction Consultation Service” Poster Presented at: American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence 2022 Conference, November 1, 2022.

Elliott, M., Belcher, A., Smith, D., Cole, T., Sweeney, S., Coble, K., Gandhi, D., Weintraub, E. “A collaborative learning model of training promotes primary care provider confidence and attitude change in the treatment of opioid use disorder” Poster Presented at: American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence 2022 Conference, November 1, 2022.

Elliott, M., Belcher, A., Smith, D., Cole, T., Sweeney, S., Coble, K., Gandhi, D., Weintraub, E. “MACS TeleECHO clinics promote attitude change among primary care prescribers treating substance use disorders: Preliminary outcomes of a qualitative evaluation” Poster Presented at: Mid-Atlantic Virtual Telehealth Conference 2022 Summit, April 25, 2022.

Brown, V., Sweeney, S., Coble, K., Weintraub, E. “Fellows Perception of Telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 Pandemic” Poster presented at: Mid-Atlantic Virtual Telehealth Conference 2022 Summit, April 25, 2022.

Huang, V., Sweeney, S., Coble, K., Weintraub, E. “Tracking Utilization of Data 2000 Waivered Practitioners: Efforts of the Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS)” Poster Presented at: Ninth Annual Public Health Research at Maryland Conference on April 7, 2022.

Sweeney, S., Coble, K., Weintraub, E. “Continuous Quality Improvement of the Maryland Addiction Consultation Service: Impact on Program Implementation” Poster presented at: Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) 2021 Virtual Conference, November 3, 2021.

Huang, V., Sweeney, S., Coble, K., Weintraub, E. “Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS) TeleECHO Pilot” Poster presented at: Mid-Atlantic Virtual Telehealth Conference 2021 Virtual Summit, March 23, 2021.

Belcher AM, Coble C, Cole TO, Welsh C, Weintraub E (2021). American Society of Addiction Medicine Annual Conference 2021. Abstract Award Honorable Mention: Underserved Populations.

Belcher AM, Cole TO, Robinson D, Kelley-Freeman A, Gandhi D, Greenblatt A, Weintraub E (2021). Patient Satisfaction with MOUD Treatment via Telemedicine: Development of a New Assessment.

Belcher AM, Coble C, Cole TO, Welsh C, Weintraub E (2021). Implementation of a Telemedicine MOUD Program in a Rural Jail during COVID 19. 

Huang H, Sweeney S, Coble C, Weintraub E (2021). Maryland Addiction Consultation Service (MACS) TeleECHO Pilot.

Ferro, R., Ader, C., Sweeney, S., Coble, K., & Bettencourt, A. F. (2021). Supporting Rural Pediatric Providers in Managing Children’s Mental Health Problems in Their Practices. Presentation at the Maryland Rural Health Conference. 

Ferro, R., Khan, K., Difatta, R., Reinblatt, S., Coble, K., & Bettencourt, A.F. (2021). When Adverse Childhood Experiences Present to a Statewide Child Psychiatry Access Program: Patient Characteristics and Treatment Considerations. Paper presented at the virtual annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 

Bettencourt, A.F., Allen, C., Coble, K., Hibbert, T., & Sarver, D. (2021). Trends in mental health concerns reported to two statewide pediatric mental health care access programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poster to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), virtual.

Sweeney, S., Coble, C., Merkle-Keller, J., Pruitt, D. “Innovative Telepsychiatry Model for Inpatient Psychiatric Care” Poster presented at: Launching into Telehealth: 2020 Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Virtual Telehealth Conference, June 26, 2020. Virtual

Ferro RA, Bettencourt AF, Williams JL, Khan KN, Platt RE, Sweeney S, Coble K (2020). Pediatric Primary Care Provider Comfort with Mental Health Practices: A Needs Assessment of Regions with Shortages of Treatment Access. 

Bettencourt AF, Coble K, Jadhav S, Reinblatt S, Riddle M, Simmons T, Williams JL (2020). Characteristics of patients served by a statewide child psychiatry access program.