Matthew Perry Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Officially Launch Fellowship in Addiction Medicine

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The initial fellow for the collaboration between the Matthew Perry Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital has been identified.

The Matthew Perry Foundation Fellowship in Addiction Medicine, which is the first program using the late actor’s name outside of his nonprofit organization, has chosen Dr. Sarah “SK Kler for its initial fellowship. Out of over 60 candidates, Kler was personally selected. She will receive extensive education on delivering top-tier addiction treatment to a wide range of patients during the 2025/26 academic year. Her tenure officially starts on June 30.

Kler completed her medical education at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School. At present, she holds the position of chief resident in internal medicine at MGH. Prior to this, she gained experience working at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless during her residency and functioned as a case manager in White River Junction, Vt., overseeing case management for older adults who were homeless, precariously housed, or residing in subsidized housing.

Thanks to backing from the Matthew Perry Foundation and extra financing from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) anticipates choosing three individuals for their upcoming academic program. These selected fellows will move through various MGH departments and Mass General Brigham’s network of regional partnerships during the course of the program.

The Matthew Perry Foundation is delighted to collaborate with Massachusetts General Hospital’s Addiction Medicine Fellowship program. Matthew strongly advocated for eradicating the stigma associated with addiction, and we are pleased to support this significant endeavor by associating our name with it,” according to a joint statement from Doug Chapin, chairman of the board, and Lisa Kasteler Calio, executive director.

Last year, I had the privilege of sharing some exciting news with The Hollywood Reporter about our partnership with Dr. Sarah Wakeman, a truly remarkable individual who serves as the senior medical director for substance use disorder at Mass General Brigham and heads the MGH fellowship program. Our intention behind establishing this fellowship was to foster a new generation of skilled professionals in addiction medicine.

Further segregating addiction treatment from regular medical care and viewing it as a social issue rather than a healthcare concern will only intensify stigma, inequalities, and the lethal consequences of this crisis,” stated Wakeman. “It is crucial for the medical profession to tackle substance use disorders with comprehensive, holistic approaches that span various medical environments. The training offered through the MGH fellowship empowers future physicians to deliver and consistently improve this care.

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2025-01-30 19:25