William Becker, MD
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General Internal Medicine
Primary
Contact Info
General Internal Medicine
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mailstop 151B, 950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516
United States
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Professor
Biography
Dr. William C. Becker is a general internist with clinical epidemiology, addiction medicine and pain management training, whose research, educational and clinical efforts broadly aim to improve the quality of chronic pain treatment in general medical settings, especially in the complex overlap of chronic pain and opioid use disorder. He directs the Opioid Reassessment Clinic at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and is PI or co-PI of several research projects through the VA, NIH, PCORI and the FDA.
Last Updated on April 07, 2025.
Appointments
General Internal Medicine
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Fellow
- Yale University (2007)
- Chief Resident
- Yale University (2005)
- Resident
- Yale University (2004)
- Intern
- Yale University (2002)
- MD
- Temple University School of Medicine (2001)
- BA
- Yale University (1995)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Analgesics, Opioid; Chronic Pain; Internal Medicine
ORCID
0000-0002-0788-1467
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of William Becker's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of William Becker's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics William Becker is interested in exploring.
Robert Kerns, PhD
Anne C. Black, PhD
Sara N Edmond, PhD
David Fiellin, MD
Minhee Sung
Kirsha Gordon, PhD, MS
65Publications
1,891Citations
Analgesics, Opioid
Chronic Pain
Publications
2026
Clinical Instruments Assessing Harms and Benefits of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain: A Scoping Review
Grant A, Ali M, Cheng A, Funaro M, Black A, Esserman D, DeBar L, Edmond S, Becker W. Clinical Instruments Assessing Harms and Benefits of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain: A Scoping Review. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2026, 1-11. PMID: 42225871, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-026-10531-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLong-term opioid therapyNon-cancer painChronic non-cancer painOpioid therapyRates of opioid prescribingOpioid-related harmsPotential therapeutic benefitClinical instrumentsOpen Science FrameworkClinical assessment instrumentsChronic painOpioid prescribingScoping ReviewPotential benefitsContent domainsPainTherapeutic benefitTreatment decisionsClinical guidelinesScience FrameworkIndividual itemsPotential harmLack of instrumentsMultiple databasesAssessment instrumentsThe Veteran Affairs’ Whole Health Approach for Chronic Pain Management
Seal K, Morasco B, Martin A, Reddy K, Van Iseghem T, Bolton R, Bokhour B, Murphy J, Denneson L, Esserman D, Buta E, Purcell N, Bertenthal D, Painter J, Abadjian L, Moore L, Chan A, McCamish N, Maguen S, Neylan T, Gibson C, Becker W, Adams M, Allen R, Ankawi B, Bailey D, Bay W, Beglane M, Berry-Hyatt T, Bess C, Blankenship A, Blankenship E, Borsari B, Burgo L, Burton C, Cagnina M, Chadwell R, Chun V, Cline B, Collins D, Cristoferi K, Dante G, Dayton-Keyhoe A, DeBar L, DeRonne B, Dougherty J, Edmond S, Eichelsdoerfer E, Etzel B, Fabian E, Feinberg T, Frank J, Gagnon T, Garvey C, George K, Greaves D, Greene C, Gregg E, Guo L, Hagedorn H, Hardaway A, Haywood C, Hildebrand C, Hill L, Hillgren K, Hixson J, Hokazano A, Horn J, Hubbard A, Hudson T, Huffer M, Ibarra J, Jacobson C, Jeffries J, Jenkins D, Jones M, Joseph J, Khanna M, Klayman J, Krebs E, Krishnaswamy A, Kuhn A, Lederer V, Lee T, Lisi A, Lucas L, Mack J, Majoris N, Makonnen R, Mathias M, Mazzone K, Miller E, Morgan C, Munusami M, Nguyen Y, Nieves Y, Noack A, Noonan K, Palyo S, Parker J, Parrilla D, Pierce W, Pitts S, Prasad L, Pyne J, Raciborski R, Ramirez T, Rankin S, Richards L, Roca H, Rodenkirch I, Rodriguez Y, Rudroff K, Saeed A, Seidel I, Sewell K, Shah R, Sivilich H, Suitter J, Torres R, Valenti A, Vannier R, Vassilieva S, Wells M, Wentross J, Wesolowicz D, Woodruff N, Yap E, Yeung C, Ying A, Zuniga S. The Veteran Affairs’ Whole Health Approach for Chronic Pain Management. JAMA: The Journal Of The American Medical Association 2026, 335: 1774-1786. PMID: 42054020, PMCID: PMC13130068, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2026.5006.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPatient's personal valuesUsual careCognitive behavioral therapyPain interference scoresChronic painPain interferenceVeterans AffairsVA patientsBehavioral therapyUS Department of Veterans AffairsInterference scoresWhole Health approachWhole Health modelWhole health teamDepartment of Veterans AffairsPersonal health goalsRandomized clinical trialsVA primary careHealth team approachUsual care groupVA health systemCognitive behavioral therapy groupChronic pain managementEffectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapyPain careThe Association of Neurocognitive Symptoms With Opioid Overdose Events Among Patients on Long-Term Opioid Therapy.
León C, Sung M, Reisman J, Liu W, Kerns R, Gordon K, Mitra A, Kwon S, Yu H, Becker W, Li W. The Association of Neurocognitive Symptoms With Opioid Overdose Events Among Patients on Long-Term Opioid Therapy. Substance Use & Addiction Journal 2026, 29767342261443858. PMID: 42157377, DOI: 10.1177/29767342261443858.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLong-term opioid therapyNeurocognitive symptomsOpioid therapyOpioid overdoseVeterans Health AdministrationSubstance use disordersMorphine equivalent daily doseOverdose riskAssociated with opioid overdoseVHA visitEquivalent daily doseCox regression analysisRetrospective cohort studyLong-term opioid therapy episodesCox proportional hazards modelsChronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseRisk of opioid overdoseChronic kidney diseaseUse disorderObstructive pulmonary diseaseProportional hazards modelCognitive impairmentNational Veterans Health AdministrationNonfatal opioid overdoseOpioid overdose riskA Buprenorphine Pocket Card and Tool Kit Tailored to Palliative Care Clinicians: An Education and Implementation Cohort Study.
Jones K, Wormwood J, Becker W, Gurewich D, Linsky A, Meier D, Merlin J, Silveira M, Skarf L, Pattison D, Wyse J, Schwartz A. A Buprenorphine Pocket Card and Tool Kit Tailored to Palliative Care Clinicians: An Education and Implementation Cohort Study. Journal Of Palliative Medicine 2026, 10966218261434104. PMID: 41858238, DOI: 10.1177/10966218261434104.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPalliative care cliniciansPaired sample t -test waCare cliniciansSerious illnessFollow-up surveyMixed-methods surveyOnline mixed-method surveyImplementation sciencePrescribing experienceBaseline participantsOpioid use disorderBuprenorphine prescribingClinician confidenceCohort studyOpioid therapyOnline surveyParticipantsUse disorderLearning needsCliniciansPhysiciansKnowledge accuracyIllnessConfidence gapConfidenceUse of Complementary and Integrative Health Therapies and Chiropractic Care Among Patients Receiving Long-Term Opioid Therapy in the Department of Veterans Affairs
Black A, Zeliadt S, Kerns R, Douglas J, Abel E, Rajeevan H, Heapy A, Kazemitabar M, Taylor S, Becker W. Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Therapies and Chiropractic Care Among Patients Receiving Long-Term Opioid Therapy in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine 2026, 32: 385-392. PMID: 41269081, DOI: 10.1177/27683605251396445.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsLong-term opioid therapyCIH therapiesVeterans AffairsNational retrospective cohortTherapy useChiropractic careCohort entryOpioid therapyYears prior to cohort entryDepartment of Veterans AffairsChronic painCohort entry yearMusculoskeletal pain conditionsHealth care encountersVA Medical CenterConsistent with national trendsResults:Clinical characteristic variablesEvidence-based therapiesCare encountersIntegrated healthHealth outcomesPost-traumatic stress disorderLower oddsOpioid use disorderA tool to evaluate the integration of implementation science methods in a research project: The Dissemination and Implementation Research Capability Self Survey (DIRC-SS)
Gotham H, Patrick B, Olatunde P, Kim J, Garneau H, Becker S, Brown C, Becker W, McGovern M. A tool to evaluate the integration of implementation science methods in a research project: The Dissemination and Implementation Research Capability Self Survey (DIRC-SS). Journal Of Clinical And Translational Science 2026, 10: e55. PMID: 41930361, PMCID: PMC13040393, DOI: 10.1017/cts.2026.10711.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsImplementation science methodsImplementation science expertsImplementation research methodsInter-rater reliabilitySelf-surveyInternal consistency reliabilityResearch teamModerate inter-rater reliabilityNIH-funded research projectsTotal scoreInternal consistencyConsistency reliabilityEffect sizeResearch useExpert ratingsExpert ratersCTSA programTeam ratingsScience methodsPragmatic instrumentResearch educationConsultation processScience expertsSample studyTeamDelphi study to explore indicators of high functioning pain management teams
Rogers D, Snow J, Teufert C, Higgins D, Noh M, Becker W, Murphy J, Sandbrink F, Edmond S. Delphi study to explore indicators of high functioning pain management teams. Journal Of Pain 2026, 41: 106216. PMID: 41687704, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106216.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPain management teamHealth system integrationClinician-patient interactionsClinician-patientDelphi studyMedical CenterProvision of medication managementConsensus indicatorsVeterans Health AdministrationComprehensive pain careModified Delphi StudyPain management expertsPain careHealthcare organizationsPatient communicationTeam characteristicsHealth AdministrationHealthcare systemPain specialistsConceptual domainsManagement teamChronic painRounding processTeam membersFacility supportLetter: Buprenorphine Receipt Is Uncommon in Older Adults with Cancer
Jones K, Soneji S, Wilson L, Merlin J, Linsky A, Becker W, Check D. Letter: Buprenorphine Receipt Is Uncommon in Older Adults with Cancer. Journal Of Palliative Medicine 2026, 29: 144-145. PMID: 41269128, DOI: 10.1177/10966218251397733.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersSummit program to taper long-term opioid therapy in Veterans: A mixed-methods feasibility study
Edmond S, Wesolowicz D, Moore B, Ibarra J, Grant A, Chhabra M, Fraenkel L, Becker W. Summit program to taper long-term opioid therapy in Veterans: A mixed-methods feasibility study. Journal Of Pain 2026, 41: 106207. PMID: 41666948, DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106207.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsLong-term opioid therapyWeb-based appMixed-methods feasibility studyProgram utilizationSummit programSessions of motivational interviewingContact with study staffFully-powered trialOpioid therapyPilot feasibility trialIntervention acceptabilityLack of resourcesFeasibility trialRecruitment targetOpioid dose reductionMotivational interviewingStudy staffStudy retentionEnrollment approachesQualitative interviewsOpioid taperPrimary outcomeLack of benefitPilot studyBehavioral therapyThe association between long-term opioid therapy and composite infection-related dental outcomes
Black A, Gordon K, Dziura J, Barry D, Crystal S, Edelman E, Gibson G, Hamilton M, Jurasic M, Li Y, Marshall B, Skanderson M, Suda K, Becker W. The association between long-term opioid therapy and composite infection-related dental outcomes. PLOS ONE 2026, 21: e0341361. PMID: 41628103, PMCID: PMC12863492, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0341361.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsFood and Drug AdministrationDental coverageDental outcomesLong-term opioid therapyComprehensive dental coveragePartial opioid agonistFollow-up timeCox regression modelsOpioid use disorderAssociated with riskNational cohort studyPatient-provider discussionsOpioid therapyOpioid agonistsOpioid analgesicsChronic painDental diseaseMultivariate regression modelCohort studyDrug AdministrationPatientsUse disorderRegression modelsUnclear generalizabilityResidual confounding
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News
- May 14, 2026
Finding a Better Way to Treat Chronic Pain in Veterans
- May 28, 2025
Opioid Overdose Crisis: Medications Prevent Subsequent Overdoses
- May 27, 2025
Research Project Studies High Doses of an Opioid Use Disorder Medication Among Veterans
- December 02, 2024
Pain Management Collaboratory Coordinating Center Receives Grant to Continue Research
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General Internal Medicine
VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Mailstop 151B, 950 Campbell Avenue
West Haven, CT 06516
United States
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PRIME Center of Innovation, Bldg 35A
Academic Office
VA Connecticut Healthcare
950 Campbell Avenue, Fl 1st Fl, Rm Rm #109
West Haven, CT 06516