Podcast 21: "Pathways of Collaboration and Communication: Breaking Down Silos in Addiction Medicine”

An interview with Christine Fishman, RPH, MPH, Academic Detailing Lead, MetroHealth

A good detailer has their finger on the pulse of what a frontline clinician really needs.

​This episode's guest speaker, Christine Fishman, RPH, MPH, Academic Detailing Lead, works at MetroHealth in Ohio, and she shares her insights about the ways in which knowledge, rapport, and service all help frontline clinicians to provide the best care for their patients who have substance use disorder.

Looking at the necessity for strong relationship-building within a hospital system, Chris discusses the critical importance of humbly admitting when you don't know the answer; showing up consistently for clinicians who are overwhelmed with the unique needs of patients struggling with SUD; and igniting practice transformation in the field of addiction medicine.

Chris shares insights about the key skills needed to make an impact in our field. Most importantly, she highlights the fact that being an expert in addiction medicine isn't the key characteristic of a successful detailer. Instead, it's understanding the challenges a clinician faces in terms of their clinic workflow; navigating gaps in resources or tools; and clinicians' needs for technology that makes it easier to identify vulnerable patients requiring specialized care or treatment. Perhaps most important of all is the key role a clinical educator plays in providing compassion, empathy, and encouragement as clinicians face daily stressors, both expected and unexpected.

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​"I care about the outcomes of your patients.
I care about the public health aspect of academic detailing…it’s what really fuels my fire, because we are making an impact on not on just one person, but a population, by talking to one person."
- Chris Fishman, RPH, MPH

Click here for the audio transcription.

Learn more about Christine's work at NaRCAD's June 2025 Summit Session: 
"Integrating Navigators into AD in the ER:
The SUN Program at MetroHealth to
Better Support Patients with Substance Use Disorder" 
Slide Deck PDF | Video Recording.

Biography.
Christine Fishman, RPH, MPH,  Academic Detailing Lead MetroHealth
Christine Fishman began her healthcare career in 1998 working as a pharmacist, serving patients in communities throughout Ohio and Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Toledo. While taking a break from her pharmacy practice to focus full time on raising her three children, she became increasingly alarmed by the worsening opioid crisis. Determined to be a part of the solution, she shifted her focus to serving the community and earned her master’s in public health from Kent State University in 2020. She was hired to pilot and lead the AD program at the MetroHealth System’s Office of Opioid Safety almost five years ago and is here to share insights and lessons learned. Christine is currently working to earn her PharmD from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado.

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