Theresa W. Kim, MD

CARE Unit Faculty

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine

Associate Medical Director, Massachusetts Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment Program

Attending, Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program

Contact

theresa.kim@bmc.org
617-414-6932
Crosstown Center, 801 Massachusetts Ave., 2^nd Floor, Boston, MA 02118

Biography

Theresa W. Kim, MD is physician-researcher in the Section of General Internal Medicine at Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine. She has worked as a primary care physician at the Boston HealthCare for the Homeless Program providing HIV and shelter-based primary care since 2001. She served as Associate Medical Director of the Massachusetts Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (MASBIRT) program.

Dr. Kim’s research has focused on improving access to quality primary and addiction care for disadvantaged populations. This has included looking at 1) the role of quality of primary care and chronic disease management services on addiction outcomes; 2) the impact of housing instability, depression, and substance use problems on access to care for people with HIV infection; and 3) screening and brief intervention for unhealthy alcohol and drug use in general medical settings. In addition to a health services focus, she has also published in the area of medical comorbidities including opioids and poor bone health (osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency).

Boston University faculty appointment: 2004

Areas of Specialization

Integration of medical and addiction care
Substance abuse treatment performance measures
Engagement in addiction and HIV care
Housing instability and health service utilization
Osteoporosis and opioid use

Boston University faculty appointment: 2004

Education and Training

Fellowship
General Internal Medicine Fellowship Program (General Medicine), Clinical Addiction Research and Education (CARE) Program, Boston University, Boston, MA, 2002-2004

Residency
Chief Resident, Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA
Resident (Primary Care Internal Medicine), Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, 1995-99

Education
MD, Boston University School of Medicine Boston, MA
BA (Medical Sciences), Boston University, Boston, MA

Honors & Awards

BA Magna Cum Laude, Boston University, 1991
Research Scholar, NIH National Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Research , 2002-2005
Research Scholar, Research Training Institute, National Institute Drug Abuse, 2006
HIV Specialist, American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM), 2006
Junior Investigator Travel Award, National Institute of Drug Abuse: Addiction Health Services Conference, 2007
Semi Finalist, Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse Best Abstract Award, 2009

Key Publications

Kim TW, Alford DP, Malabanan AO, Samet JH. Low bone mineral density in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2006; 85 (3): 258-262. PMCID: PMC4059827.

Kim TW, Kertesz S, Horton NJ, Tibbets N, Samet JH. Episodic homelessness and utilization in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals with alcohol problems. BMC Health Services Research. 2006; 6(1):1. PMCID: PMC1421395.

Kim TW, Samet JH, Cheng DM, Winter M, Safran Gelb D, Saitz R. Primary care quality and subsequent addiction severity: a prospective cohort study. Health Sciences Research. 2007; 42:755-772.

Kim TW, Bernstein J, Cheng DM, Lloyd-Travglini, Samet JH, Palfai T, Saitz R. Receipt of addiction treatment as a consequence of a brief intervention for drug use in primary care. Addiction, 2017; 112: 818-827. PMCID: PMC5382041.

Kim, TW, Walley, AY, Heeren, TC, Patts, GJ, Ventura, AS, Lerner, GB, Mauricio, N, Saitz, R. Polypharmacy and non-fatal overdose for patients with HIV infection and substance dependence. Journal Substance Abuse Treatment, 2017, 81: 1-10. PMID: 28847449