Massachusetts General Hospital, Matthew Perry Foundation Announce Fellowship in Addiction Medicine

The Matthew Perry Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, today announced the establishment of the Matthew Perry Foundation Fellowship in Addiction Medicine for the 2025/2026 academic year. The fellow will join a highly competitive Addiction Medicine fellowship program, which is one of only 105 available in the United States and trains physicians who have completed an accredited residency program to become specialists and leaders in Addiction Medicine. The fellowship focuses on developing clinical expertise, leadership skills, and training on effective systems of care. The goal is for graduating fellows to be trained to provide much-needed access to high quality treatment and provide guidance and mentorship in the communities where they ultimately practice.

Dr. Sarah “SK” Kler, the inaugural fellow, was selected from a pool of more than 60 applicants and will receive comprehensive training in the delivery of high-quality addiction care to a diverse population of patients.

“The Matthew Perry Foundation is honored to be in partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital’s Addiction Medicine Fellowship program. Matthew believed deeply in eliminating the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction and, with that in mind, we are proud to lend our name to this important work,” said Doug Chapin, the Foundation’s Chairman of the Board and Lisa Kasteler Calio, its Executive Director.

Nearly 50 million Americans struggle with substance use disorders and hundreds of thousands of Americans die from alcohol and drug use each year despite evidence that addiction is a chronic, treatable health condition.

“Continuing to silo addiction care outside the rest of medical care and marginalize addiction as a social problem outside of the domain of physicians will only exacerbate stigma and inequities and increase the deadly impact of this epidemic,” said Sarah Wakeman, MD, Senior Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham and program director of the MGH fellowship. “It is vitally important for the medical community to address substance use disorder using effective, holistic, wraparound services across medical settings. The training provided through the MGH fellowship will allow the next generation of physicians to provide and continually improve this care.”

The Matthew Perry Foundation was established to honor Matthew Perry’s unwavering commitment to helping those struggling with the disease of addiction. Drawing inspiration from Mr. Perry’s life, words, and personal experiences, the Foundation works to raise awareness and foster understanding about the nature of addiction and eliminate stigma and the barriers that prevent people from seeking and receiving care.

Dr. Kler’s training will commence on June 30, 2025. She received her medical training at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and currently serves as the Chief Medical Resident in Internal Medicine at MGH. Dr. Kler worked with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless during her residency and, prior to medical school, she was a case manager in White River Junction, Vt., providing case management to older adults who were homeless, insecurely housed, or living in subsidized housing. A compassionate and skilled clinician, Dr. Kler is known for her steadfast advocacy for her patients.

With the support of the Matthew Perry Foundation, coupled with continued funding from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Mass General will welcome three candidates into the 2025/26 program. Over the course of a year, the fellows rotate throughout various departments across MGH, as well as Mass General Brigham’s regional partnerships, allowing them to gain the necessary skills needed to become expert clinicians and leaders in the field of Addiction Medicine. While curriculum is tailored to each individual fellow’s interests, core clinical rotations for all fellows include the full range of innovative clinical programs developed at Mass General Brigham, such as the inpatient Addiction Consult Team, the Bridge Clinic, the HOPE clinic for pregnant patients and families, the alcohol-related liver disease clinic, and working in integrated addiction teams in primary care.

“Mass General will work in close collaboration with the Matthew Perry Foundation to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and, most importantly, offer hope to those of every age, background and experience who are struggling with substance use disorder,” said Dr. Wakeman.