Katherine Mullins, MD, FASAM
Candidate for Regional Director
Region I - New York
Katherine Mullins, MD, FASAM is an internal medicine physician specializing in addiction medicine, HIV, and primary care. As Medical Director of the Sunset Terrace Clinic, she oversees patient care in a community where over 70% of patients live below the federal poverty level. Since 2022, Dr. Mullins has co-led the Addiction Medicine Program at the Family Health Centers (FHC) at NYU Langone, one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Center networks in the nation. She is currently transitioning to the role of interim Medical Director for the FHC Community Medicine Program, the first homeless medicine initiative in the United States. This program currently operates ten clinics located within homeless shelters across New York City.
She previously completed her Primary Care/Social Internal Medicine Residency and Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Mullins is a producer for the Curbsiders Addiction Medicine podcast and serves as Communications Director for the New York Society of Addiction Medicine (NYSAM).
Candidate Questionnaire Responses
1. What have been your greatest contributions to ASAM or to the field of addiction medicine over the last 10 years?
As NYSAM Communications Director for the past two years, I have managed the NYSAM website, social media, and direct communication with members via email and a membership listserv. I serve on the NYSAM 反差系列al Committee, where I have played a role in planning the annual NYSAM “Intersection of Science, Treatment, and Policy Conferences” for 2023 and 2024, including moderating sessions for both.
Clinically, in my role as Assistant Medical Director of Addiction Medicine for the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone, I have spearheaded initiatives including the integration of harm reduction strategies into clinical practice, the creation of protocols for intramuscular naltrexone administration, and the establishment of referral systems to outpatient addiction services from diverse clinical and community settings. As an educator, I serve as core faculty for the NYU Brooklyn Internal Medicine Residency Program and site lead for the NYU Multidisciplinary Addiction Training Scholarship funded through the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). I have led aspects of addiction-related curricular development and lectured on related topics for both programs, in addition to invited lectures on addiction medicine topics that I have given at academic centers, city-wide and national academic meetings.
2. How would your election to the ASAM Board of Directors benefit ASAM and the field of addiction medicine?
My commitment to advancing addiction medicine and improving care for underserved populations aligns deeply with the mission and objectives of ASAM. Serving as Region I Director, I would focus on the following priorities:
- Apply the communication skills that I have acquired through my background in medical education, my role as NYSAM’s Communications Director, and as a producer on the Curbsiders Addiction Medicine Podcast to enhance ASAM's outreach efforts and ensure that valuable, evidence-based resources reach a broad audience.
- Support dissemination of best practices by serving as a conduit between my local NYSAM chapter, my own clinical and programmatic work, and the national organization of ASAM. I am particularly interested in developing creative, low-barrier models of care for people who use drugs. I have applied this lens as I have expanded the Family Health Centers’ Addiction Medicine Program and will continue to do so in my upcoming transition to Interim Medical Director of the Family Health Center’s Community Medicine Program, which operates ten medical and behavioral health clinics located in homeless shelters across New York City. I believe that integration of multiple, diverse perspectives are needed for these complex projects to succeed. I look forward to joining this conversation on a national level and supporting ASAM’s ongoing leadership in incorporating effective addiction care into diverse healthcare environments.
Thank you for considering my application.