Treat Addiction, Save Lives: The History of the American Society of Addiction Medicine

Title: Treat Addiction. Save Lives. A History of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.Format: Workshop. Presentation, discussion, and dialogue with attendees. Entry level.

Description: Most ASAM members know a bit of our history: the current national medical specialty society with its roots in New York City in 1954; its founder, Dr. Ruth Fox, treating patients for alcohol withdrawal in her office which was located in her apartment; its other deep roots on the West Coast; and a few years of its existence having the ODDest name among medical societies: AMSAODD. In ASAM’s fourth decade, our 4th president, Percy Ryberg, MD, had drafted a manuscript which served as the basis and inspiration for others, including our first two Society executives, Manny Steindler and Jim Callahan, to flesh out the story further. Mike Miller, MD, our 25th president, took up the endeavor from Dr. Callahan, contacting many others to fill in blanks. In 2019, the ASAM Board voted to support a recommendation from the Publications Council, to submit a Request for Proposal to identify a professional writing and publishing firm to produce a History of ASAM in an e-book format. The Board also named five persons to constitute a new History Committee and to work with the selected publisher, Historical Research Associates (HRA), to assure that the book would be complete and accurate. The committee, which was chaired by Allan Graham, MD, is delighted to share with all interested parties the journey to April 2022 and the launching of this newest ASAM publication: Treat Addiction. Save Lives. A History of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Each member of the faculty of this workshop will share the most interesting, entertaining, or surprising bit of history they learned through this project. Excerpts from the book will be recited to spark commentary and questions. Also present for this dialogue session with the audience will be chair of the Publications Council and current ASAM President Bill Haning, MD, and managing editor of Treat Addiction, Save Lives, Leigh Hause-Alvarado, M.Ed., MBA. WORKSHOP submissionModerator: Mike Miller, MD, DFASAM, DLFAPAFaculty: Mike Miller, MD, DFASAM, DLFAPA; Andrea Barthwell, MD, DFASAM; David Smith, MD, DFASAM; William Haning, MD, DFASAM, DLFAPA, Leigh Hause-Alvarado, M.Ed., MBA