Impact Award, Unsung Hero by Peri Hayes Dr. Mai, recent recipient of the Unsung Hero Impact Award, had been an experienced General Family Physician in St. Thomas since 2003. After learning more about opioid use disorder (OUD), Dr. Mai was determined to support this demographic. Through the national debut of the particular medication which Dr. Mai prescribes to date, he thoughtfully consulted with his partners: “I enjoyed the success with my own clients, and found that I can make a difference through exploring this option.” The respective routes for this particular medication involve Suboxone (oral) and Sublocade (injectable). The latter produces the benefit of simultaneously preventing overdose, as Dr. Mai voices, “This is saving lives in addition to improving quality of life in the process.” While Suboxone and Sublocade are the same medication, these are different means of administering with the pill lasting 24 hours and the injection, one month, and the pill, 24 hours. “When I started treating these patients in 2015, I realized the depth of connection to mental health and trauma. My interest in this specific field certainly sparked at that time.” When a position at Central Community Health Centre (CCHC) became available in 2020, Dr. Mai seized the opportunity to further shift his focus toward mental health while filling a health care need in the community. Dr. Mai’s priority is to care for people beginning their journey with this resource — and continuing with this resource for as long as they require — knowing that they are safe and supported. He elaborates, “The retention is important here and when applicable, individuals can wean off.” Dr. Mai assures this is a very gentle process. “In this structure, we dedicate time to build trust and connect with each patient.”
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Regarding his Unsung Hero Impact Award, Dr. Mai humbly expresses: “I strive to draw attention to our clinic as a whole, as well as toward our mental health and addiction program -- this is the best part of receiving this recognition in the community.” Evidently, Dr. Mai graciously receives this Impact Award with his appreciated colleagues in heart: Dr. Lum and Nurse, Dylan Craig: “I feel proud of my team.” As he proceeds to highlight, they are accepting clients experiencing addiction and untreated mental health: “We know there is a need.” “I feel rewarded every day at work when I support a client,” Dr. Mai passionately continues. “This is a system in health care which is proving helpful for the vulnerable population. We see progress, and people in this community sharing their positive experiences with this medication is what effectively shines light on the impact of this resource. We aim to increase visibility on how our services can be utilized well.” CCHC operates Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at 359 Talbot Street. Dr. Mai is their clinical contact at Jmai@centralchc.com, while Dylan is their program contact at Dcraig@centralchc.com.
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