Overview Agenda Presenters Venue Accreditation Overview Agenda Presenters Venue Accreditation Join us for a day of discussion and education about Substance Use Disorders in nursing and how it affects members of our community with expert-led discussions and panels. We welcome nurses of all experience levels and familiarity with Substance Use topics, as this day will be an opportunity to learn about the state of SUD treatment in nursing, share stories, and make connections in the BMC community. ## Broadening the Lens: Nursing Care for All Substance Use Disorders ### When and Where Thursday September 24th, 2026 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. University of Massachusetts Boston [Campus Center](https://www.umb.edu/campus-center/ "Campus Center | UMass Boston (umb.edu)") Ballroom, 3rd Floor 100 William T. Morrissey Boulevard Boston, MA 02125 [Get Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=42.3129045+-71.0365247 "Google Maps Directions to UMass Boston Campus Center (google.com)") ### Conference Fee - BMCHS Employees: $49.99 - Students: $49.99 - Members of the public: $199.99 [Register for the Conference](https://pci.jotform.com/form/261823411836153 "BMCHS Nursing Conference Registration Form: Integrative Nursing Conference: Heal the Healer (May 11, 2026), hosted by jotform (form.jotform.com)") ![](https://assets.bmc.org/transform/2d7eda7d-d0f0-477e-9f82-b0165f2d5b62/Nursing-Ethics-Conference?io=transform:fill,width:1300,&format=webp) ## Agenda 7:30–8:00 a.m. **Registration / Breakfast / Info Tables** 8:00–8:10 a.m. **Welcome - SUD Nursing Council Co-Chairs** Brittany Carney DNP, FNP-BC & Adrianna Hughes RN-BSN, CARN 8:10–8:20 a.m. **Setting the Stage for the Day** Donna Beers, MSN, RN-BC, CARN 8:20–9:15 a.m. **Session:** Introduction to Substance Use Disorder Nursing Kristin Wason, MSN, NP-C, CARN 9:15–10:15 a.m. **Session:** Nursing Care of the Patient with Alcohol Use Disorder Azure Bergeron, BSN, RN, CARN 10:15–10:30 a.m. **Break / Info Tables** 10:30–11:30 a.m. **Session:** Stimulants 101 Megan Hudson, MSN, PMHNP-BC 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. **Interactive Session:** Harm Reduction & Safer Use Supplies in the Hospital Tehya Johnson, MSN, AGPCNP & Michael Yang, MD 12:30–1:15 p.m. **Lunch / Info Tables / Iced Coffee** 1:15–1:30 p.m. **Session:** Trailblazer Award Presentation Jimmy Evans, BSN, RN 1:30–2:15 p.m. **Session:** Sedation Monitoring and More– Safe Place for Observation and Treatment (SPOT) Michelle Whitaker BSN, RN, CARN 2:15–2:30 p.m. **Break / Info Tables** 2:30–3:30 p.m. **Keynote Session:** The Streets are my Clinic– Supporting Women at the Intersection of Addiction, Survival Sex Work and Sex Trafficking in Boston Abigail M. Judge, Ph.D 3:30-4:30 p.m. **Session:** Lived Experience Panel– Nurses in Recovery Moderator: Annie L. Potter, MSN, MPH, FNP-C, CARN-AP 4:30 p.m. **Wrap-up & Evaluations (SUD Nursing Council Co-Chairs)** Brittany Carney DNP, FNP-BC & Adrianna Hughes RN-BSN, CARN ### Azure Bergeron, BSN, RN, CARN Azure is a registered nurse at Boston Medical Center with over 20 years of experience in trauma and intensive care. She is a graduate of the Grayken Addiction Nursing Fellowship program, the first Addiction Nursing fellowship of its kind in the United States, where she received specialized training in caring for patients with substance use disorder (SUD), co- occurring disorders, educating individuals on harm reduction practices, and providing trauma-informed care. She was also a Clinical Care Manager in an NIH-funded trial to increase initiation and engagement in treatment for persons diagnosed with Alcohol Use Disorder in primary care settings. Azure serves as a consultant for BMC's Grayken Center for Addiction Training & Technical Assistance and has contributed to the development and delivery of continuing education programs covering topics such as the management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in the ICU, SUD 101 for new graduate nurses, and supporting healthcare professionals who have or are experiencing SUD. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. ### Megan Hudson, MSN, PMHNP-BC Meg is a clinical nurse educator for Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance and a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at Boston Medical Center. Her current clinical area of practice involves management of both primary and substance-induced psychotic disorders. Prior to obtaining her MSN, she worked as a nurse care manager in the Stimulant Treatment and Recovery Clinic (START) clinic, where her work integrated harm reduction, infectious disease treatment, medical addiction groups, and co-management of stimulant use disorders and mental health conditions. Meg has supported the dissemination of the START clinic model across Massachusetts, and she leads and participates in trainings related to stimulant use. Her clinical interests and expertise include harm reduction, low barrier treatment, complex care management, early identification and management of acute and persistent substance-induced psychosis, and the dissemination of information regarding the intersection of mental health and substance use disorders. Meg contributes to peer- reviewed publications, evidence-based clinical guidelines, and the development of resources for providers supporting patients with substance use disorders. She earned both her BSN and MSN from Regis College. ### Tehya Johnson, MSN, AGPCNP-BC Tehya is a Clinical Nurse Educator for Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance, where she contributes to the development and delivery of continuing education programs, peer-reviewed publications, evidence- based clinical guidelines, and other resources for providers supporting patients with substance use disorders. She is also a Public Health Nurse Practitioner at Project Trust at Boston Medical Center, providing low-threshold access to vital substance use treatment and medical support services to people who use substances. She has expertise in providing care for people at the intersection of experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders, compassionate overdose response, changes in street supply that affect the health of her patients, and low-barrier wound care. She has been deeply involved in statewide advocacy for the development of overdose prevention centers in Massachusetts with SIFMA Now and serves as a Board Member at the Material Aid and Advocacy Program (MAAP) in Cambridge, MA. She began her nursing career as an RN and then a Primary Care Provider and the Associate Medical Director of Harm Reduction Services at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, providing medical care on street outreach for patients experiencing homelessness. She has a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University, working in preclinical research related to substance use prior to her training in nursing. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) in 2020 from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. ### Michael Yang, MD Michael Yang is an Addiction Medicine Fellow at Boston Medical Center. He graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at Boston Medical Center where he was part of the Primary Care Training Program and HIV Pathway. ### Michelle Whitaker BSN, RN, CARN Michelle (Misch) Whitaker is the nurse manager of SPOT at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) where she has been working for 19 years. She is currently a Bloomberg Fellow in the focus area of Addiction and Overdose in the MPH program at Johns Hopkins University. ### Abigail M. Judge, Ph.D Dr. Abigail Judge founded and co-directs Boston HEAT. She is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist who divides her time between HEAT, private practice, and expert witness testimony throughout the country. As a faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, she teaches faculty, residents, and fellows and speaks nationally on human trafficking and addiction. Her work bridges direct clinical care and institutional change, helping systems respond more effectively to women navigating trauma, exploitation, and addiction. Her scholarship has been recognized by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and the Harvard Center for Bioethics. She received the 2024 FBI Community Leadership Award for her service to survivors of sex trafficking. ### Annie L. Potter, MSN, MPH, FNP-C, CARN-AP Annie is a clinical nurse educator for Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Training and Technical Assistance, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and a nurse practitioner at Boston Medical Center. Annie contributes to peer-reviewed publications, evidence-based clinical guidelines, development and delivery of continuing education programs, and other resources for clinicians supporting patients with substance use disorders. Annie is also consultant and educator for the Massachusetts HEALing Communities Study, a multi-state study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She is also the Medical Director for the Massachusetts Community Health Center ECHO and an expert faculty member of the Provider Clinical Support System Exchange (PCSS-X). Annie's other clinical interests include treatment and prevention of HIV and Hepatitis C. Before joining Boston Medical Center, Annie practiced at a community health center in Baltimore, MD, where she established and directed the city's first walk-in HIV treatment and prevention program. She holds specialty certifications for the treatment of HIV and Hepatitis C. Annie earned both her Master of Nursing and Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. ![](https://assets.bmc.org/transform/f22c8013-b3e7-43a6-8df8-c824f485a9bd/Nursing-Ethics-Conference?io=transform:fill,width:550&format=webp) ### Venue University of Massachusetts Boston 100 William T. Morrissey Boulevard [Campus Center](https://www.umb.edu/campus-center/ "Campus Center | UMass Boston (umb.edu)") Ballroom, 3rd Floor Boston, MA 02125 ### Getting Here - **Via Public Transportation** - Red Line to JFK/UMass or Bus Service Route 8 - Shuttle buses run regularly between JFK/UMass station and several points on campus. - **Via Car** - On-campus and nearby parking are available. - We recommend parking at the Campus Center Garage located directly under the Campus Center. The daily parking rate is $15.75 - [View UMass Boston parking map, rates, and information (PDF)](https://d2vu77ju8614ln.cloudfront.net/temp/umass-boston-parking-information.pdf) - Google Maps waypoints: - [Campus Center Garage](https://goo.gl/maps/TrxcKws5VRW8QkqY7) - [West Garage](https://goo.gl/maps/Bvexxxz74XpXRhx59) - [Lot D](https://goo.gl/maps/46ACsp39KDwKX9B36) - [Bayside Lot](https://goo.gl/maps/n14m7Xv3y8HspLu7A) [Explore UMass Boston Visitor Resources](https://www.umb.edu/transportation/visitor-resources/) Boston Medical Center is approved as a provider of continuing nursing professional development by the American Nurses Association, Massachusetts, and is an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Participants who complete and return the evaluation and stay for the entire session will be awarded 6.75 contact hours.