About
Titles
Associate Professor of Medicine (General Medicine) and of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases)
Medical Director of the Addiction Medicine Consult Service, Program in Addiction Medicine; Associate Program Director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, Medicine
Biography
Dr. Weimer is board certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine and has a clinical and research focus on substance use disorders treatment, particularly in the hospital setting. She also has fellowship training and years of experience in the management of complex pain, particularly for patients with concomitant opioid use disorders. She is the Medical Director of the Yale Addiction Medicine Consult Service (YAMCS), a multidisciplinary, hospital based program to address the substance use disorder needs of patients admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital.
Dr. Weimer has worked tirelessly on a local, state and national level to improve access to evidence based treatments for individuals with substance use disorder. Her work to expand addiction treatment in hospital settings started at Oregon Health & Science University where she worked with colleagues and community partners to create one of the nation's first hospital-based models to initiate addiction treatment while patients are hospitalized from a complication of their substance use. An experienced educator, she teaches health care students and professionals about substance use disorders and their treatment to promote the expansion of the addiction medicine workforce. She additionally serves as the Associate Program Director of the Yale Addiction Medicine Fellowship program.
Appointments
General Internal Medicine
Associate Professor on TermPrimaryChronic Disease Epidemiology
Associate Professor on TermSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- MCR
- Oregon Health & Science University (2012)
- General Medicine Fellowship
- Oregon Health & Science University (2012)
- Residency
- Oregon Health & Science University (2010)
- Internship
- Oregon Health & Science University (2008)
- DO
- Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (2007)
- BA
- University of Virginia, Religious Studies & Biology (2001)
Research
Publications
2024
Development of a Patient and Clinician Informed Website on Injection Drug Use Related Infective Endocarditis.
Chan C, Minahan-Rowley R, Biegacki E, Sue K, Weimer M. Development of a Patient and Clinician Informed Website on Injection Drug Use Related Infective Endocarditis. Substance Use & Addiction Journal 2024, 29767342241267077. PMID: 39087514, DOI: 10.1177/29767342241267077.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchInjection drug use-related infective endocarditisSemi-structured interviewsInjection drug usePatient participationPatient websitesInjection practicesInfective endocarditisPatient education resourcesHelpfulness of informationHistory of injection drug useDrug useMixed-methods studyHealthcare cliniciansBaseline surveyOpioid use disorderPrevention strategiesInformation websitesEducational materialsCounseling patientsHospitalized adultsPromote educationWebsite sectionsCliniciansSurvey feedbackUse disorderTreatment of alcohol use disorder in patients with liver disease
Hill G, Cohen S, Weimer M. Treatment of alcohol use disorder in patients with liver disease. Clinical Liver Disease 2024, 23: e0217. PMID: 38841192, PMCID: PMC11152780, DOI: 10.1097/cld.0000000000000217.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe American Society of Addiction Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline Development Methodology
Weimer M, Devoto A, Kansagara D, Safarian T, Brunner E, Stock A, Rastegar D, Nelson L, Tirado C, Korthuis P, Boyle M. The American Society of Addiction Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline Development Methodology. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2024, 18: 366-372. PMID: 38752709, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001312.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchClinical practice guidelinesClinical practice guidelines methodologyPromote evidence-based best practicesEvidence-based best practicesPublished clinical practice guidelinesGuideline development methodologyAmerican Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAMOrganizational prioritiesPractice guidelinesAddiction preventionAmerican SocietyBest practicesNational HIV and HCV Screening Rates for Hospitalized People who Use Drugs Are Suboptimal and Heterogeneous Across 11 US Hospitals
Westgard L, Sato T, Bradford W, Eaton E, Pilcher F, Hale A, Singh D, Martin M, Appa A, Meyer J, Weimer M, Barakat L, Felsen U, Akiyama M, Ridgway J, Grussing E, Thakarar K, White A, Mutelayi J, Krsak M, Montague B, Nijhawan A, Balakrishnan H, Marks L, Wurcel A. National HIV and HCV Screening Rates for Hospitalized People who Use Drugs Are Suboptimal and Heterogeneous Across 11 US Hospitals. Open Forum Infectious Diseases 2024, 11: ofae204. PMID: 38746950, PMCID: PMC11093397, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae204.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchScreening ratesHepatitis C virusTesting ratesHepatitis C virus screening ratesHIV screening ratesHIV testing ratesOpt-out testing policyHCV screening ratesStatistically significant differenceHepatitis C virus antibody testingInjection drug useAssociated with statistically significant differencesViral load testingNational HIVHospital sitesHCV antibody testingInpatient encountersUS hospitalsSignificant differenceInpatient hospitalizationU.S. hospitalsInpatient testingPWUDHospitalized peopleHospital
2023
Long-Term Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder with Medications
Wolfgang A, Weimer M, Na P, Fiellin D, Muvvala S. Long-Term Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder with Medications. 2023, 631-661. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197618431.013.23.ChaptersOpioid use disorderMedical diseasesUse disordersChronic medical diseasesExtended-release naltrexoneLong-term treatmentCause mortalityOUD treatmentClinical outcomesOngoing treatmentOpioid overdoseTerm treatmentMedicationsPsychosocial outcomesAddiction treatmentDisease paradigmOutcomesTreatmentEvidence-based paradigmDiseaseDisordersNegative outcomesImproved retentionRemissionRelapsingASAM Clinical Considerations: Buprenorphine Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder for Individuals Using High-potency Synthetic Opioids
Weimer M, Herring A, Kawasaki S, Meyer M, Kleykamp B, Ramsey K. ASAM Clinical Considerations: Buprenorphine Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder for Individuals Using High-potency Synthetic Opioids. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2023, 17: 632-639. PMID: 37934520, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001202.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsHigh potency synthetic opioidsOpioid use disorderBuprenorphine initiationBuprenorphine treatmentTreatment needsUse disordersClinical considerationsExpert consensusSynthetic opioidsTreatment of OUDProspective researchOpioid agonist treatmentLong-term treatmentDrug supplyPatients' treatment needsOpioid withdrawalBuprenorphine doseOUD treatmentAgonist treatmentDosing frequencyClinical questionsFrontline cliniciansClinical practiceTreatment settingsIndividualized strategiesResponse to substance use during hospitalization: A survey study of current and ideal policies and practices
Huxley‐Reicher Z, Puglisi L, Tetrault J, Weimer M, Stellini M, Bhandary‐Alexander J, Thomas K, Donroe J. Response to substance use during hospitalization: A survey study of current and ideal policies and practices. Journal Of Hospital Medicine 2023, 18: 829-834. PMID: 37475186, DOI: 10.1002/jhm.13162.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHospital policiesAddiction medicine fellowshipsPatient-directed dischargeSubstance useCross-sectional studyWorse patient outcomesMajority of hospitalsAcute hospitalizationPatient outcomesUse of substancesPatient-centered policiesHospitalizationUS hospitalsLittle dataGraduate Medical EducationHospitalCliniciansAccreditation CouncilSurvey studyResponseCurrent practiceRevisiting Ethical Considerations in Recurrent Injection Drug Use–Related Infective Endocarditis
Hull S, Jadbabaie F, Weimer M, Golden M, Vallabhajosyula P, Rosenfeld L. Revisiting Ethical Considerations in Recurrent Injection Drug Use–Related Infective Endocarditis. Annals Of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports 2023, 1: 369-371. DOI: 10.1016/j.atssr.2023.02.025.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersBetter care at the bedside for hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder
Calcaterra S, Buresh M, Weimer M. Better care at the bedside for hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder. Journal Of Hospital Medicine 2023, 18: 1134-1138. PMID: 37016586, PMCID: PMC10548352, DOI: 10.1002/jhm.13099.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsLow-dose Initiation of Buprenorphine in Hospitalized Patients Using Buccal Buprenorphine: A Case Series
Adams K, Cohen S, Guerra M, Weimer M. Low-dose Initiation of Buprenorphine in Hospitalized Patients Using Buccal Buprenorphine: A Case Series. Journal Of Addiction Medicine 2023, 17: 474-476. PMID: 37579114, DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001146.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderBuprenorphine initiationSublingual buprenorphineChronic painBuccal buprenorphineCase seriesClinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) scoresAddiction medicine serviceLow dose initiationSevere opioid withdrawalHistory of heroinOutpatient opioidsOpioid withdrawalAcute painFentanyl useHospitalized patientsMedian lengthPrescription refillsMedian numberModerate withdrawalInitiation strategiesBuprenorphineMedicine servicePatientsUse disorders
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Exemplar Hospital Initiation Trial to Enhance Treatment Engagement (EXHIT ENTRE)
HIC ID2000030586RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date02/28/2023Recruiting ParticipantsGenderBothAge18+ years
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
Clinical Care
Overview
Melissa Weimer, DO, is board certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine and has a clinical and research focus on expanding access to substance use disorder treatment, particularly in the hospital setting. She also has fellowship training and years of experience in the management of complex pain, particularly for patients with concomitant opioid use disorders. She is the medical director of the Yale Addiction Medicine Consult Service (YAMCS), a multidisciplinary, hospital-based program to address the substance use disorder needs of patients admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital.
Dr. Weimer has worked on a local, state, and national level to improve access to evidence-based treatments for patients with substance use disorder. Her work to expand addiction treatment in hospital settings started at Oregon Health & Science University, where she worked with colleagues and community partners to create one of the nation's first hospital-based models to initiate addiction treatment while patients are hospitalized from a complication of their substance use.
An experienced educator, she teaches health care students and professionals about substance use disorders and their treatment to promote the expansion of the addiction medicine workforce. She additionally serves as the associate program director of the Yale Addiction Medicine Fellowship program.
Clinical Specialties
Board Certifications
Addiction Medicine
- Certification Organization
- AB of Preventive Medicine
- Original Certification Date
- 2018
Internal Medicine
- Certification Organization
- AB of Internal Medicine
- Latest Certification Date
- 2020
- Original Certification Date
- 2010
Yale Medicine News
Links & Media
News
- June 21, 2023
Addiction Medicine Team Dispenses First Three-Day Supply of Methadone at Yale
- March 24, 2023
Yale Clinicians Take on Growing Need for Adolescent Addiction Medicine Services in Connecticut
- September 28, 2022
Newly Established IMPOWR-YOU Center Engages Diverse Partners to Guide Research Aiming to Advance Treatments for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder
- August 11, 2022
Discoveries & Impact (August 2022)