In response to the growing complexity of addiction and the urgent need for specialized care, Comprehensive Healthcare has sought innovative ways to address this growing epidemic in our communities. Among the latest advancements is the addition of a full-time addictionologist to our team – a crucial step forward in our mission. But what exactly is an addictionologist? An addictionologist is a physician with specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing addiction who brings expert medical knowledge to help individuals navigate the challenges of substance use disorders and achieve lasting recovery.
As Jodi Daly, PhD, CEO of Comprehensive Healthcare, explains, “This new role aligns with key themes in our Community Health Needs Assessment, recognizing the pressing need for specialized expertise in addiction treatment. By bringing on an addictionologist, we’re deepening our commitment to providing comprehensive, accessible care to those in need and enhancing the quality of our addiction services across the region.”
We are excited to announce that Dr. Gillian Zuckerman, a passionate and accomplished physician, has stepped into this role. Dr. Zuckerman brings a wealth of experience and a deeply personal connection to addiction medicine, which drives her compassionate approach to care.
Dr. Zuckerman is a family medicine physician who hails from Massachusetts. Upon finishing medical school, she decided to look west for her residency program so she could find a more hands-on approach to practicing medicine. “Family medicine on the East Coast is very different than it is on the West Coast,” Dr. Zuckerman explained. “There’s a lot more referrals and much less management of different things. I wanted to get good, robust training, so I headed out here.”
When Dr. Zuckerman completed her residency program, she found herself migrating to the Pacific Northwest, where she completed an obstetrics fellowship. She moved to Yakima three and a half years ago after accepting a role as a faculty member at the Community Health of Central Washington and Central Washington Family Medicine residency program, where she could offer full spectrum care to her clients. “I do general primary care and obstetrics, including delivery, and I’m the medical director of the siloed Suboxone clinic,” Dr. Zuckerman elaborated.
Dr. Zuckerman’s addiction medicine journey was shaped by her professional research and personal connection, which gave her a unique empathy and passion for the field. “I started learning about substance use disorders and fell in love with that field of research,” she recalls, highlighting a research project that allowed her to connect deeply with women facing substance use challenges. Working with women who struggled with substance use, especially around complex issues like family, pregnancy, and contraception, resonated with her, and she shared, “That population has a very, very deep place in my heart.”
Dr. Zuckerman also drew inspiration from her personal history: her caring father, an anesthesiologist, faced an opioid use disorder, which ultimately took his life when she was 20. “I hadn’t quite put all the pieces together until I started the work that I do now,” she reflected, underscoring how her loss fuels her dedication to helping others overcome their addiction.
As Comprehensive Healthcare’s new Addictionologist, Dr. Zuckerman will enhance the scope and impact of the organization’s addiction services. Her role encompasses overseeing the methadone clinic, supporting inpatient addiction programs, and expanding resources for outpatient care. Additionally, she will bring her extensive background in physical medicine to support the walk-in clinic, offering comprehensive care for clients with substance use disorders. Dr. Zuckerman will also work collaboratively across Comprehensive Healthcare’s sites beyond Yakima, ensuring a cohesive, compassionate, and effective approach to addiction treatment throughout the organization. “One of my main goals is to support addiction services by identifying areas where we can grow and provide more targeted resources for individuals who need help,” she explained.
Addiction is a complex and multifaceted disease that requires not only medical intervention but also deep empathy and understanding. Dr. Zuckerman is an advocate for addressing stigma and misconceptions about addiction, which she believes remain one of the most significant barriers to care. “At it’s core, addiction is incredibly challenging. But the principle I hold onto in treating it is compassion and humanity,” Dr. Zuckerman emphasized. “Stigma creates obstacles for patients, often making it harder for them to reach out when they’ve experienced setbacks.”
In addition to combating stigma, Dr. Zuckerman emphasizes the importance of harm reduction strategies, which she considers crucial to promoting health and safety, even when abstinence may not be immediately achievable. “Harm reduction doesn’t encourage drug use; it simply acknowledges that patients can benefit from support that meets them where they are,” she said. “Understanding that addiction can override the brain’s natural survival instincts allows us to approach patients with the empathy they deserve.” Dr. Zuckerman further explained that supporting programs that aid with harm reduction – such as needle exchanges – provide safety for those in the midst of addiction so that they will find themselves in a better place should they seek sobriety later. “Harm reduction means that we can still promote their health and their well-being even in the midst of whatever decision they choose to make when they go home.”
Dr. Zuckerman’s appointment comes at an exciting time, as new state and federal legislation is expanding treatment options and promoting innovations in addiction medicine. She looks forward to implementing these developments at Comprehensive Healthcare. “The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, for example, could enable us to dispense methadone at pharmacies in the future. This would be a major breakthrough in making treatment accessible for more people,” she noted.
The role of an Addictionologist is more critical than ever as addiction evolves and new challenges emerge. Dr. Zuckerman explained, “Just a few years ago, heroin was the most common drug on the street, and treatment protocols for it were well-established. Today, we’re grappling with fentanyl and even more dangerous substances like tranq. We need to be adaptive and willing to learn from the patients we serve.”
Comprehensive Healthcare’s commitment to addressing addiction aligns with Dr. Zuckerman’s vision of a supportive, resource-rich environment where individuals struggling with substance use can receive compassionate and effective care. Her arrival as Addictionologist brings renewed hope for addressing addiction in our community. As Dr. Zuckerman put it, “Addiction is a disease that can absolutely be managed. I’ve worked with too many people who have overcome it and gone on to live meaningful, fulfilling lives. With the right treatment and support, recovery is possible.”
