Leading with Empathy: Educating Patients and Providers on Addiction Medicine

In this episode of Health Talks, we chat with Gorana Micevic, a Physician Assistant at Access Community Health Network in Chciago. Gorana shares her journey from training at SIU School of Medicine to serving both rural and urban communities through family and addiction medicine. She discusses leading a nationally recognized COVID-19 testing program in rural Illinois, completing Rush University’s addiction medicine fellowship, and building a patient panel for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).  Gorana offers encouragement for providers who may feel uncertain about treating OUD, and reminds us that education, empathy, and collaboration are key to making an impact.

Throughout the episode, Gorana emphasizes the importance of education both for patients and providers. She reflects on how increasing clinician confidence around initiating OUD treatment could reduce barriers to care, and stresses the need for more training programs to include addiction medicine and integrated behavioral health: “I’m a strong believer in the power of integrated behavioral health. Some of the most meaningful progress I’ve seen with patients has happened alongside behavioral health consultants—professionals trained in trauma, anxiety, depression, and recovery. It’s the combination of medical and emotional care that truly transforms outcomes.”