Alyssa S. Tilhou, MD, PhD Hear my name
Assistant Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Family Medicine

MD/PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch
AB, Harvard University

Pronouns: she/her/hers



Dr. Tilhou is a family physician, addiction specialist and health services researcher in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center. She is also the department's Research Director. Her research focuses on access and utilization of primary care and substance use services in low-income populations. Dr. Tilhou completed her medical education and doctorate in Population Health Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch, residency in family medicine at the Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville, NC, and a fellowship in Addiction Medicine at the University of Wisconsin. She is supported by a K08 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Other recent funding includes a BU CTSI pilot award to study disparities in buprenorphine quality indicators among BMC patients and a contract with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services through which she is evaluating disparities in telehealth uptake among WI Medicaid patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

As a physician scientist, and as a human, I strive to orient my actions according to a value system that emphasizes justice, humility, and compassion. To this end, my clinical and scientific efforts aim to improve the health and well-being of historically marginalized populations. On this journey, I work to emphasize and elevate the voices and recognition of my peers and patients from minoritized backgrounds. The search for truth inevitably fails when all voices are not heard.

Specific actions and honors demonstrating my commitment to the promotion of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility (DEIJA) include:

Professional activities:
2023-ongoing – collaborating with the executive committee of an aligned professional organization to develop by-laws and an accountability plan to ensure members conform with DEIJA principles in conference settings.
2021-2022 – led NAPCRG initiative to promote more diverse representation among committee membership and leadership
2015-2018 – co-founded and led a Cultural Humility Group in my residency program focused on addressing structural racism for patients and colleagues
2011-2012 – served as Director of St. Vincent’s Student Clinic at University of Texas Medical Branch, a free medical clinic staffed by medical students primarily serving patients facing poverty, stigma, and uninsurance
2010-2012 – developed an elective track for students at my medical school focused on learning and intervening on the social determinants of health

Research activities:
2022 – ongoing: CTSI funded pilot grant to examine racial disparities in quality metrics around buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder

Honors:
2018 Resident Award for Advocacy, Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors
2015 Humanism Award in Neurology UTMB-Austin
2014 Humanism Award in Obstetrics and Gynecology, UTMB-Austin
2014 Humanism Award in Pediatrics, UTMB-Austin
2011 Gold Humanism Honor Society

Other:
I have been approved as a Spanish language provider for all of my primary clinical appointments since and including residency.



Impact of initial buprenorphine prescribing strategies on retention in care for patients with opioid use disorder
05/15/2023 - 04/30/2028 (PI)
National Institute on Drug Abuse/NIH/DHHS
1K08DA058052-01

Medicaid Evaluation, Research, and Technical Assistance (MERTA II)
11/01/2021 - 06/30/2024 (PI)
University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin Department


Title

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Tilhou AS, Dague L, Chachlani P, Burns M. Can telehealth expansion boost health care utilization specifically for patients with substance use disorders relative to patients with other types of chronic disease? PLoS One. 2024; 19(4):e0299397. PMID: 38557607; PMCID: PMC10984462; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299397;
     
  2. Tilhou AS, Burns M, Chachlani P, Chen Y, Dague L. How Does Telehealth Expansion Change Access to Healthcare for Patients With Different Types of Substance Use Disorders? Subst Use Addctn J. 2024 Mar 17; 29767342241236028. PMID: 38494728
     
  3. Tilhou AS, Jain A, DeLeire T. Telehealth Expansion, Internet Speed, and Primary Care Access Before and During COVID-19. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Jan 02; 7(1):e2347686. PMID: 38180762; PMCID: PMC10770767; DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.47686;
     
  4. Tilhou AS, Zaborek J, Baltes A, Salisbury-Afshar E, Malicki J, Brown R. Association of Fentanyl Test Strip Use, Perceived Overdose Risk, and Naloxone Possession among People Who Use Drugs. Subst Use Misuse. 2024; 59(2):254-257. PMID: 37807227; DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2267130;
     
  5. Tilhou AS, Murray E, Wang J, Linas BP, White L, Samet JH, LaRochelle M. Trends in buprenorphine dosage and days supplied for new treatment episodes for opioid use disorder, 2010-2019. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2023 Nov 01; 252:110981.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37839942; PMCID: PMC10615721; DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110981;
     
  6. Alyssa S Tilhou, Jen Zaborek, Amelia Baltes, Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, Julia Malicki Randall Brown. Association of Fentanyl Test Strip Use, Perceived Overdose Risk, and Naloxone Possession among People Who Use Drugs. Substance Use & Misuse. 2023; (1-4).
  7. Tilhou AS, Saloner B, DeLeire T, Chakraborty S, Dague L. Health and Healthcare Access for Essential, Nonessential, and Nonworkers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Occup Environ Med. 2023 Nov 01; 65(11):e703-e709. PMID: 37641177
     
  8. Tilhou AS, Zaborek J, Baltes A, Salisbury-Afshar E, Malicki J, Brown R. Differences in drug use behaviors that impact overdose risk among individuals who do and do not use fentanyl test strips for drug checking. Harm Reduct J. 2023 Mar 28; 20(1):41. PMID: 36978170; PMCID: PMC10053743; DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00767-0;
     
  9. Tilhou AS, Zaborek J, Baltes A, Salisbury-Afshar E, Malicki J, Brown R. Differences in drug use behaviors that impact overdose risk among individuals who do and do not use fentanyl test strips for drug checking. Harm Reduct J. 2023 Mar 28; 20(1):41. PMID: 36978170; PMCID: PMC10053743; DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00767-0;
     
  10. Tilhou, Alyssa Shell, Eleanor Murray, Jiayi Wang, Benjamin P. Linas, Laura White, Jeffrey H. Samet, and Marc LaRochelle. Trends in buprenorphine dosage and days supplied for new treatment episodes for opioid use disorder, 2010–2019. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2023; 252.
Showing 10 of 17 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 16 publications over 5 distinct years, with a maximum of 6 publications in 2023

YearPublications
20131
20201
20225
20236
20243


2023 Boston Medical Center Women's Leadership Program
2022 Boston Medical Center Emerging Leaders Conference
2021 AMERSA Conference Registration Award
2019 National Academy of Medicine: Emerging Leaders Forum
2018 Reproductive Health Education in Family Medicine Resident Scholarship
2018 Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors: Resident Award for Advocacy
2015 University of Texas Medical Branch: Bennie and Irene White Presidential Scholarship
2015 UTMB-Austin: Humanism Award in Neurology
2014-2018 Pisacano Leadership Foundation: Pisacano Scholars Leadership Program
2012 UTMB: United States Public Health Services Excellence in Public Health Award
2012 UTMB: Don W. Micks Scholarship in Preventive Medicine & Community Health
2011 UTMB: Gold Humanism Honor Society
2009-2012 UTMB: Student Award in Oslerian Medicine

Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
  • Career Mentor
  • Co-Mentor or Peer Mentor
  • Diversity Mentor
  • Project Mentor
  • Research / Scholarly Mentor
  • Work / Life Integration Mentor
Contact for Mentoring:
  • Email (see 'Contact Info')

771 Albany Street
Boston MA 02118
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