Relational Rounds

Monica Bharel, M.D., MPH, is the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, appointed in February of 2015. She is responsible for spearheading the state’s response to the opioid crisis, implementation of health care cost containment legislation, reducing health disparities, finding public health solutions for health care reform, finding innovative solutions using data and evidence-based practices, and other health care quality improvement initiatives. Dr. Monica served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, the largest nonprofit health care organization for homeless individuals in the country. In this episode, Dr. Monica explains the origins of the opium epidemic, as well as the program that is being implemented in Massachusetts after a rapid increase in the number of deaths by overdose. Prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery — the plan to face an addiction that has risen exponentially and needs an integral approach to stop threatening t