Dr. Evan Wood to lead addiction services at Vancouver Coastal Health and St. Paul’s Hospital

published on May 9, 2014

New role to address growing challenges with untreated addiction in Vancouver

Vancouver, B.C. [May 9, 2014]—Dr. Evan Wood has been named the new Medical Director for Addiction Services at Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Physician Program Director for Addiction at Providence Health Care (PHC) which operates St. Paul’s Hospital.

Dr. Wood will assume the joint position at VCH and St. Paul’s at a time when Vancouver is struggling to address growing rates of untreated alcohol and drug addiction.

“In Vancouver, particularly in areas like the Downtown Eastside, high rates of untreated addiction have been a longstanding problem,” said Dr. Evan Wood, who also holds the Canada Research Chair in Inner City Medicine at the University of British Columbia. “Fortunately, we know that evidence-based treatment can have a huge impact in improving patient outcomes and I’m excited to be part of a team that is very focused on improving models of care.”

Over the past four years, St. Paul’s Hospital has experienced an 89% increase in the number of patients presenting with addiction issues to the emergency department. The subsequent health and social concerns, including poor mental health and high rates of medical complications, have resulted in repeated calls to improve the health system’s response to drug addiction.

“Addiction and the health complications of untreated addiction have become a primary driver of admissions to St. Paul’s Hospital,” said Dianne Doyle, President and CEO of PHC. “Turning things around will require not only evidence-based prevention and treatment services but also the integration of research and educational efforts.”

Dr. Wood is well-positioned to undertake this effort as the founding director of St. Paul’s Hospital’s Goldcorp Fellowship in Addiction Medicine, which is western Canada’s first American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) accredited addiction physician training program. The program was recently recognized by ABAM with its Next Generation Award for excellence in fellowship training. Dr. Wood’s team is also responsible for addiction research activities funded by the US National Institutes on Drug Abuse.

“Dr. Wood is well-placed to help us close the gap between the science of addiction medicine and the care patients receive,” said Dr. Rolando Barrios, Senior Medical Director at VCH. “Under the direction of Dr. Wood, we will work to continuously improve the skill set of care providers and the evidence-based addiction medicine interventions delivered to ensure both patients and the community are better served.”

Added Nichola Hall, co-founder of From Grief to Action, a non-profit organization in B.C. that provides education and support for families affected by drug use: “We are pleased to learn of this announcement given Dr. Wood’s longstanding commitment to expanding addiction treatments and moving the system to where addiction medicine is better incorporated into the healthcare system.”

“We need greater recognition of addiction as a health issue, as well as skilled physicians and more accessible treatment models to reduce the negative effects of untreated addiction on individuals and families.”

BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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Dr. Evan Wood to lead addiction services at Vancouver Coastal Health and St. Paul’s Hospital

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