Infectious Disease Syndemic and Substance Use in Maine: From Surveillance to Action
Join Courtney Pladsen, DNP, FNP, RN, and Kate Russell Woodworth, MD, MPH, FAAP, as they explore the intersection of infectious disease and substance use in Maine and discuss strategies to improve screening, prevention, and care.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize current infectious disease trends and common co-infections (HIV, HCV, HBV, STIs) among patients with substance use disorder in Maine to inform screening practices.
- Identify opportunities to collaborate with Maine CDC partner services and disease investigation teams to improve linkage to care, treatment adherence, and partner notification for patients with notifiable infections.
- Apply lessons learned from Maine’s recent HIV outbreak to assess current prevention practices and implement evidence-based interventions such as expanded screening, PrEP provision, and harm reduction linkages
Audience:
Prescribing Clinicians and their teams
Continuing Medical Education:
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Hanley Center for Health Leadership and Education and CCSME. The Hanley Center for Health Leadership and Education is accredited by the Maine Medical Association Committee on Continuing Medical Education and Accreditation to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Hanley Center for Health Leadership and Education designates this regularly scheduled series for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
*Nurses and Nurse Practitioners will be awarded a certificate of participation with a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™.
This course has been approved by Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine (CCSME), as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 1 educational credits. NAADAC Provider #324712, CCSME is responsible for all aspects of the programming.
Contact Hours 1 contact hours for social workers, licensed clinical professional counselors, and behavioral health professionals.
1 Category 1 Contact hours for psychologists. CCSME is a pre-approved sponsor and provider of Professional Education Activities for Psychologists.
1 contract hours CHES. CCSME is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission of Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
Speakers
-
Courtney Pladsen DNP FNP RNDr. Courtney Pladsen DNP, FNP-C is the MaineCare Medical Director and has worked in the health care safety net for over 17 years. She is a Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner with a clinical focus on primary care, substance use treatment, and harm reduction for people experiencing homelessness. She received her undergraduate degree from Boston College and her Masters and Doctoral degrees from Georgetown University where her research explored screening and addressing social determinants of health in primary care. Courtney was a fellow with the RWJF Culture of Health Leader program from 2018-2022, the Clinical Director at the National Health Care for the Homeless Council from 2020-2023, and is currently the MaineCare Medical Director. While she continues to practice clinically one day a week at Greater Portland Health’s Health Care for the Homeless Clinic, Courtney is passionate about improving health systems to provide equitable care for the most marginalized individuals in Maine.
-
Kate Russell Woodworth MD MPH FAAPKate Russell Woodworth, MD, MPH, FAAP is the Deputy State Epidemiologist at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. She is a practicing pediatrician with expertise in applied epidemiology, emerging infectious diseases, and maternal and child health. Dr. Woodworth graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and completed her pediatric residency at Duke University Medical Center, followed by training as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the federal CDC. Prior to joining Maine CDC, Dr. Woodworth spent 10 years at the federal CDC, where she led the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET), managing surveillance activities across 25 state and local health departments. Her work included responses to major public health emergencies (Zika, Ebola, and COVID-19). In her current role at Maine CDC, Dr. Woodworth works on cross-cutting public health initiatives focused on syndemic response activities for HIV, viral hepatitis, and substance use. Dr. Woodworth is passionate about improving the health and well-being of all Mainers.
