SSTAR

We are happy to announce that: Jason Ham is the February Employee of the Month! Jason has been with SSTAR for just over 1 year! Jason is a Research Assistant in SSTAR’s Research Department. Jason came to SSTAR right after finishing his degree program. Despite being new to the health care field and to substance use disorder treatment, Jason was immediately eager to learn and dove right into his work. He is the first to offer to do any task from seeing patients in the department to getting a cup of coffee for another busy coworker. Jason always does his work with a bright demeanor and a smile on his face. He is pleasant to everyone who he interacts with no matter the stressors of the day. His kindness and thoughtful manner with patients and with staff across the organization make him and exceptional employee. He takes time to listen and really invests in those around him. He is valued by all the patients who he works with, and his calm and warm presence puts those in the program instantly at ease.   Jason is a great choice for February Employee of the Month!

SSTAR Research Major Accomplishment! The SSTAR Research team has reached a major milestone! SSTAR is one of 19 sites across the country facilitating the two-phase Retention and Discontinuation Study for people with opioid use disorder. SSTAR is the only study site to reach the recruitment goals for both phases of the study AND the study site with the highest number of participants. This is a major accomplishment that has been achieved through years of hard work by the research team! SSTAR is still recruiting for the medication discontinuation study for people stable in recovery who want to taper off medication for opioid use disorder. They hope to recruit more participants to meet the overall study recruitment goal. 

White Ribbon Proclamation & Pledge Ceremony

We are excited to announce that: Alyssa Costa is the January Employees of the Month! Alyssa has been with SSTAR for 1 ½ years! Alyssa is the admissions nurse at the inpatient. She is noted by the staff on inpatient to go above and beyond prioritizing the most acute clients to get them up on the floor and comfortable. She responds to all client concerns including working with those that enter through rapid access helping them to make a smooth transition. She is always patient, kind and understanding providing a listening ear to the clients as they are going through the process. One day recently she became aware of an MAT client who needed admission and came in early the next day to make certain that everything was ready to make sure that there were sufficient staff to do the admission in the required timeframe. Clients often mention that she is attentive, and she almost always wears a smile. She works well with her colleagues and is a valued part of the inpatient team.   Alyssa is a great choice for January Employee of the Month!

We are excited to announce that: Amy Dasilva is the January Employees of the Month!   Amy has been with SSTAR for over 2 years!   Amy is a care coordinator in the Community Partners Program here at SSTAR. Amy has shared her own story and journey through the SSTAR programs. Amy is bright, warm and committed, always putting her clients first. She finds ways to make the system work to get what each individual needs and does it in a way that empowers those she serves. Amy participates in the extra community activities offered by the CP and engages with her clients in a way that has resulted in progress in many arenas of their lives. She is professional, kind and considerate. Most recently Amy used her own story to present at a meeting highlighting the success and outcomes of the CP program at SSTAR to 14 managers and administrators from Mass Health. Her courage and conviction made an incredible impression on those present, and she and the CP leadership left an incredible impression of the value of the program   This is why Amy is an excellent choice for Employee of the Month!

Thank you, Senator Michael Rodrigues: Last week SSTAR of Fall River launched a new initiative in cooperation with The Fall River School Department bringing mobile health care to the students at Durfee High School. The initiative marks the culmination of a year of preparation to create, design and staff a modern fully outfitted mobile health unit to provide a full complement of health services to students. This opportunity to reach students who require primary care has been a major focus for the city and championed by Senator Michael Rodrigues through line-item funding for start-up. The mobile unit will also address the need for physicals to enter school or participate in extracurricular activities and other key initiatives addressing health care access for the children and teens of Fall River.

Due to the impending storm, Lifeline will be closed on Sunday, 2/9/25. Lifeline patients are asked to bring their locked boxes on Saturday 2/8/25 for take-home dosing for Sunday, 2/9/25.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

SSTAR was honored to welcome a visit from Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, Undersecretary for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The visit provided an opportunity for Dr. Mahaniah and Millie Bhatia, Health Policy Manager EOHHS to meet with program directors and senior staff to hear about the integrated system of healthcare at SSTAR. SSTAR is a Federally Qualified Health Center and Mental Health Center offering a full continuum of services including primary care in 3 locations and mobile van services; substance use disorder services including: inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient, OBOT, Bridge, and an Opioid Treatment Program; and mental health services including a rapid access program. Left to Right Monica David, COO SSTAR - Dr. Genie Bailey, Chief of Research SSTAR - Sherry Ellis, CEO SSTAR - Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, Undersecretary for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services - Millie Bhatia, Health Policy Manager EOHHS

We are excited to announce that: Peter Levesque is the November Employee of the Month! Peter Levesque has been with SSTAR for 7 months! Peter is a Systems Engineer in IT! Although Peter has only been at SSTAR for a short time he has made a big impact. We have received multiple emails regarding Peter’s responsiveness and work in the IT department noting how quickly issues were attended to and resolved. The billing department noted that he was responsible for changing over the entire department from desktops to laptops and did it quickly and efficiently with patience and a customer service focus. He is diligent, informative and thorough. His knowledge base has assisted with solving issues quickly and cleanly keeping the business moving forward so that our patients can continue to be served. He is warm and friendly in his work with staff and checks back in to ensure that everything is working well. Peter is a great choice for November Employee of the Month!