Emily Hurstak, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Biography
Dr. Emily Hurstak is the Medical Director for the Boston Medical Center’s Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) Program and the Grayken Center for Addiction TTA’s SUD Care Continuum ECHO. She is a primary care physician and addiction medicine specialist who provides primary medical care to patients at Boston Medical Center’s General Internal Medicine and OBAT clinics. She has focused her work and research on improving the understanding and care of patients with co-morbid substance use disorders and chronic pain as well as studying health literacy and health communication techniques to improve care of vulnerable patients. She is board certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine and is trained in medical acupuncture. Dr. Hurstak received her medical degree from Columbia University and completed her residency, chief residency, and fellowship at the University of California San Francisco.
Education
- Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, MD
- Yale University, BS
- University of California, San Francisco, MASt
Publications
- Published on 2/5/2025
Magane KM, Saitz R, Fielman S, LaRochelle MR, Shanahan CW, Pace CA, LaValley M, Penington K, Karzhevsky S, Hurstak E. Supporting primary care clinicians in caring for patients with alcohol use disorder: study protocol for Records for Alcohol Care Enhancement (RACE), a factorial four-arm randomized trial. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2025 Feb 05; 20(1):9. PMID: 39910606.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/5/2024
Joyce CT, Roseen EJ, Smith CN, Patterson CG, McDonough CM, Hurstak E, Morone NE, Beneciuk J, Stevans JM, Delitto A, Saper RB. A Cluster Analysis of Initial Primary Care Orders for Patients with Acute Low Back Pain. J Am Board Fam Med. 2024 Jan 05; 36(6):986-995. PMID: 38182423.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/13/2023
Hurstak E, Farina FR, Paasche-Orlow MK, Hahn EA, Henault LE, Moreno P, Weaver C, Marquez M, Serrano E, Thomas J, Griffith JW. COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Mediates the Relationship between Health Literacy and Vaccination in a Diverse Sample of Urban Adults. Vaccines (Basel). 2023 Dec 13; 11(12). PMID: 38140251.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/20/2023
Harris MTH, Laks J, Hurstak E, Jain JP, Lambert AM, Maschke AD, Bagley SM, Farley J, Coffin PO, McMahan VM, Barrett C, Walley AY, Gunn CM. "If you're strung out and female, they will take advantage of you": A qualitative study exploring drug use and substance use service experiences among women in Boston and San Francisco. J Subst Use Addict Treat. 2024 Feb; 157:209190. PMID: 37866442.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/13/2023
Ly SM, Fitzpatrick AM, Canfield J, Powis A, So-Armah K, Hurstak EE. Improving DEIB in Addiction Medicine Training Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Program Evaluation. Subst Abus. 2023 Oct; 44(4):277-281. PMID: 37830542.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/1/2023
Lent MR, Dugosh KL, Hurstak E, Callahan HR, Mazur K. Prevalence and predictors of suicidality among adults initiating office-based buprenorphine. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2023 Jun 01; 18(1):37. PMID: 37264472.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/2/2023
Hurstak EE, Paasche-Orlow MK, Hahn EA, Henault LE, Taddeo MA, Moreno PI, Weaver C, Marquez M, Serrano E, Thomas J, Griffith JW. The mediating effect of health literacy on COVID-19 vaccine confidence among a diverse sample of urban adults in Boston and Chicago. Vaccine. 2023 Apr 06; 41(15):2562-2571. PMID: 36907736.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/1/2019
Chao MT, Hurstak E, Leonoudakis-Watts K, Sidders F, Pace J, Hammer H, Wismer B. Patient-Reported Outcomes of an Integrative Pain Management Program Implemented in a Primary Care Safety Net Clinic: a Quasi-experimental Study. J Gen Intern Med. 2019 07; 34(7):1105-1107. PMID: 30783878.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/1/2019
Hurstak E, Chao MT, Leonoudakis-Watts K, Pace J, Walcer B, Wismer B. Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Integrative Pain Management Program in a Primary Care Safety-Net Clinic. J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Mar; 25(S1):S78-S85. PMID: 30870021.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/30/2018
Hurstak E, Rowe C, Turner C, Behar E, Cabugao R, Lemos NP, Burke C, Coffin P. Using medical examiner case narratives to improve opioid overdose surveillance. Int J Drug Policy. 2018 04; 54:35-42. PMID: 29353022.
Read at: PubMed
View 10 more publications: View full profile at BUMC