The Hartford is extending its partnership with the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine (Yale-PAM) to provide a newly-developed training on addiction, pain management and stigma to more medical providers who treat injured workers.

The Hartford launched the partnership with Yale School of Medicine following a record level of overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2021. To address the opioid crisis, the company has also supported federal funding for opioid education and treatment programs and advocated for federal and state reforms, such as the adoption of robust medication formularies, mandatory physician and provider education, restrictions on unneeded opioid prescriptions, and improved drug monitoring programs.

Built on 30 years of pioneering research, Yale’s Program in Addiction Medicine is internationally recognized. Known for developing innovative treatment models, training programs and attracting leaders in the field, Yale’s model programs have been replicated nationally and internationally.

The Yale Program in Addiction Medicine works to expand access to and improve the effectiveness of prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services for people with unhealthy substance use and those with addiction. The program operates across four key pillars: Clinical Practice, Research, Education, and Policy.

“Science and empathy are both critical to addressing the ongoing opioid crisis, and the unique training developed as part of our partnership has both,” said The Hartford’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. “By partnering with an internationally recognized leader in evidence-based treatment, we are advancing stigma-free education and compassionate care to help more working Americans return to active, productive lives following an injury.”

David Fiellin, M.D., and Jeanette Tetrault, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.S.A.M., led the Yale-PAM team that developed the original curriculum, which helps clinicians better understand opioids and work-related injuries, identify and treat acute pain and chronic pain, and assess substance and opioid use disorders among injured workers.

The Hartford’s Chief Medical Officer Adam Seidner, M.D., served as a consultant to the Yale-PAM team to ensure the curriculum focuses on improving workers’ ability to do their job, preventing chronic pain development through the appropriate management of acute pain, and enabling a safe return to work following a workplace injury.

Leveraging the new curriculum, the Yale-PAM team conducted an in-depth virtual training session for 25 clinicians in June. Participants were highly satisfied with the training, saying it was “comprehensive” and “interactive.” Additionally, a knowledge gain from pre- to post- knowledge assessment scores was noted among participants, who scored on average an 88% on the post-training.

In the coming year, the Yale-PAM team will refine and update the curriculum based on pilot participant feedback, conduct additional virtual and in-person training sessions, and develop train-the-trainer resources so that more instructors can conduct the training.

“We are grateful for The Hartford’s unrestricted gift to support the development of a new unique educational resource that will help address the deadly opioid crisis,” said Dr. Fiellin. “With ongoing support, we will reach more clinicians with the new curriculum and help countless U.S. workers who have experienced injuries with evidence-based treatment approaches with a goal of return to work.”