Geisinger’s new Addiction Medicine Program welcoming applicants

DANVILLE – Geisinger’s Addiction Medicine Program has received a $2.5 million federal grant to support an Addiction Medicine Advanced Practitioner Training Program for physician assistants (PA-Cs) and certified registered nurse practitioners (CRNPs). 

The goal is to train advanced practitioners to identify and care for patients with substance use disorder and opioid use disorder — especially people living in rural areas where other options for care are limited.

The first training class will launch in January, with new classes beginning each July and January over the course of the five-year grant. Applicants must be board certified and maintain an active Pennsylvania advanced practitioner license.  

“Studies have shown that Pennsylvania communities — particularly those in rural areas — struggle with access to substance use disorder treatment options, putting more strain on our hospitals,” said Margaret Jarvis, M.D., chief, addiction services for Geisinger Addiction Medicine and the Geisinger Neuroscience Institute. “Putting well trained advanced practitioners in primary care sites will provide a stable environment for long-term treatment of addicted patients. Because they’re treated in their communities, it’s easier to help them stay on course.” 

The 12-month program includes lectures and in-clinic training. It will focus on mental health and substance use and opioid use disorder services, including the use of medications to treat opioid use disorder. 

To receive an application, visit go.geisinger.edu/apaddictiontraining.

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country.  Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.