More than 200 nursing and other staff from ZSFG and DPH attended an all-day Addiction Care Symposium in Carr Auditorium co-sponsored by SFDPH, ZSFG’s Addiction Care Team, and the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. The event focused on helping staff address substance use disorders. The 2nd annual symposium offered participants valuable insights into best practices in opioid and stimulant use disorder treatment, communicating with patients effectively, alcohol withdrawal, and the Addiction Care Team Nurse Liaison Program.

Participants also heard from the Addiction Care Team staff about their services and overdose prevention as well as future educational opportunities. This included the Center for Innovative Academic Detailing on Opioids and Stimulants (CIAO), which is a DPH program that offers ZSFG staff and providers across San Francisco one-on-one counseling sessions on opioid and stimulant use disorder management, buprenorphine prescribing, controlled substance monitoring, and other evidence-based practices.

Attendees were eligible for six hours of continuing education credit while advancing how they deliver compassionate and evidence-based nursing care for individuals living with substance use disorders. The next event is planned for Fall 2025.