When facing a giant, it’s nice to have help from someone who has slain his own Goliath.
That’s the hope Terry Alley, MD, FASAM, brings to patients at Cumberland Heights. As medical director of the Healthcare Professionals Program, Alley uses his training – and own experience with addiction – to help others win the battle.
A Winding Road
A Kansas native, Alley received his undergrad degree from Notre Dame before heading to the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine. After completing a family practice residency in Indiana, he remained as a family medicine physician in solo practice. But a few years later, life started to change.
“In 1978 I found I had a problem,” said Alley. “I went to treatment and realized I wasn’t the only healthcare professional struggling with addiction. My physician said once I had five years of sobriety, I should get involved in the field so I went back and ended up working with alcoholics and drug addicts in my practice.”
In 1984, Alley took the national certification exam to specialize in addiction medicine, and hasn’t looked back. In the more than three decades since launching into his new specialty, Alley has put his experience to work treating countless doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinarians and others in medicine. After several years in leadership at treatment facilities in Indiana, Texas and Alabama, Alley and his wife Michelle moved to Nashville in 2011.
A Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), his personal and clinical experience has made Alley one the most respected physicians in his field, receiving leadership appointments on both state and national levels. He currently serves on the ASAM board as a regional director. Alley is also a governing board member for the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Through these roles he’s worked to develop public policy and aid others on the road to recovery.
Addiction Among Physicians
Alley said the incidence of addiction among healthcare professionals is similar to that of the rest of the population, with estimates from 10 to 15 percent.
“The difference is that the general population who go through treatment processes across the country have recovery rates of 60 percent,” Alley said. “With healthcare professionals in the program, there is so much more at stake, as their medical license and livelihood are on the line.” Fueled by that reality, these patients typically experience a 90 percent recovery rate. Treatment is longer and more intense for those exposed to drugs on a daily basis, and the 90-day program is followed by a five-year work monitoring agreement that helps bolster recovery rates.
“A lot of times physicians are under the impression that they’re bad people and the only one who’s ever struggled with this,” Alley said. “The idea that someone has been through this, survived and is successfully practicing again helps quite a bit in the treatment process.” Caduceus groups also provide a support network for those recovering.
Steps to Recovery
“If you or a colleague have a problem, get help before board involvement happens,” Alley stressed.
For doctors struggling with addiction, the first step is contacting the Physician Health Programs available in most states. In Tennessee, the Physician Health Program operates under the Tennessee Medical Foundation under the oversight Roland Gray, MD.
“The goal of the program is to intervene and reach recovery before physicians lose their license,” said Alley, who added that many doctors are initially hesitant to trust the program out of fear of losing their license. After evaluation, patients are referred to an approved center like Cumberland Heights.
How Does the Physician’s Health Program Work?
The mission of the Physician’s Health Program (PHP) is to protect patients through identification, intervention, rehabilitation and the provision of advocacy for physicians impaired by addictive disease, mental or emotional illness.
IdentificationThe Tennessee Medical Foundation (TMF) maintains a 24-hour phone line for family members, patients, and co-workers to report, confidentially, their concerns about a physician.
VerificationThe TMF PHP medical director and/or case managers attempt to verify the reported behavior. If the behavior is not verified, the process is halted or the information is held for further inquiry.
InterviewIf the need for help is substantiated, the physician is asked to make an appointment for an interview with TMF PHP personnel. In exchange for support, the physician is invited to follow the recommendations of the PHP in seeking specified treatment at his or her own expense.
TreatmentAll treatment is carried out in approved hospitals and treatment facilities. The length of treatment is based upon the physician's individual needs. Physicians affected by other emotional or behavioral conditions are treated with an initial evaluation and subsequently prescribed inpatient and/or intensive outpatient therapy.
Re-EntryRe-entry into practice usually occurs within one or two weeks following treatment. During this period, the PHP is often the physician’s strongest – and sometimes only – ally. The PHP medical director and case managers work in concert with the treatment center’s recommendations to establish contractual ground rules for re-entry into practice.
AftercareThe aftercare process is for a minimum of five years. It is guided by an individualized contract, comprised of recommendations of the PHP and the treatment facility.
For more information visit the PHP’s homepage through the Tennessee Medical Foundation at e-tmf.org.
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