Spectrum Health Systems, Inc., a longtime not-for-profit organization providing a comprehensive continuum of addiction treatment throughout Massachusetts, and a range of recidivism reduction programming for justice-involved individuals throughout the country is pleased to announce that the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) has awarded Dr. Jeffrey Baxter, Chief Medical Officer at Spectrum Health Systems its Nyswander/Dole award at this year’s AATOD conference.
“We are very grateful to have Dr. Baxter as part of our leadership team and are proud of his tremendous service, including the numerous contributions he has made over the past 13 years,” said Kurt Isaacson, President, and CEO of Spectrum Health Systems. “It is a true honor to see him receive this recognition as he has worked tirelessly to continually enhance Spectrum’s treatment programs to ensure that our services reflect the needs of all clients.”
The Nyswander/Dole award recognizes the extraordinary service and outstanding contributions made by leaders among the opioid treatment community. Dr. Baxter was among eight individuals who were nominated and selected by their peers for their devotion and extraordinary service in improving the lives of clients within the opioid treatment community.“I’m truly honored to receive the Nyswander/Dole award from AATOD, an organization which has been at the forefront of efforts to improve access to life-saving treatment for opioid use disorders for almost 40 years,” said Dr. Jeffrey Baxter, Chief Medical Officer at Spectrum Health Systems. “In the face of record levels of overdose deaths, the work we are doing is more important than ever. I am proud to accept this award on behalf of our entire team at Spectrum, in recognition of everyone in the organization working tirelessly to reduce the deadly impact of opioids in our communities.”
Dr. Baxter began his career at Spectrum in 2009, as Medical Director for the organization’s outpatient treatment network before being appointed to Chief Medical Officer in 2014. He has worked to modify and enhance Spectrum’s clinical procedures and limit unnecessary barriers to treatment for clients. He helped implement same-day, walk-in access for medication for opioid use disorder treatment, enabling people to access the care they need, when they need it, and helped develop models for using medications to treat opioid use disorders (MOUD) for justice-involved individuals through Spectrum’s corrections division. Dr. Baxter is an Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the Department of Family Medicine, and is board certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine.
Dr. Vincent Dole and Dr. Marie Nyswander were the first recipients of this award in 1983. Dr. Baxter received his prestigious award at the 2022 AATOD conference in Baltimore, Maryland on October 30th.
For more information about Spectrum Health Systems, visit our website or call 1-877-MyRehab.
