Sadie Elisseou, MD

The Health Design Podcast

Sadie Elisseou, MD is a primary care physician in the Boston VA healthcare system, a Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Adjunct Instructor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, and a nationally recognized expert in the field of trauma-informed care (TIC), an organizational framework for supporting survivors of various forms of trauma. Dr. Elisseou's award-winning curriculum on ‘trauma-informed physical examination’ is now being taught at medical schools and healthcare institutions across the country. During the pandemic Dr. Elisseou worked with VA colleagues to publish a framework for trauma-informed telehealth. Dr. Elisseou is the co-founder of the Veterans Health Association TIC Collaborative and a member of the Trauma Informed Health Care, Education and Research (TIHCHER) collaborative and the Harvard Medical School TIC Steering Committee. She enjoys building platforms for educating healthcare professionals in trauma-informed practices. You can reach her at www.sadie-elisseou.com. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, has identified 6 core principles of a trauma-informed approach. #1 is Safety. #2 is Trustworthiness and Transparency. #3 is Peer Support. #4 is Collaboration and Mutuality. #5 is Empowerment, Voice, and Choice, and #6 is attending to Cultural, Historical and Gender Issues. Dr. Elisseou and others in the field are applying these principles to healthcare delivery According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, a trauma-informed organization must follow these 4 Rs: it must realize the widespread impact of trauma, recognize the signs and symptoms among clients and staff, respond by putting trauma-informed measures into practice, and resist re-traumatization. Dr. Elisseou works with healthcare organizations to incorporate these 4 Rs into daily operations