Benjamin Hayes, MD, MPH, MSW is an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He serves as the Medical Director at the Drug User Health Clinic at OnPoint NYC, the site of the first publicly acknowledge overdose prevention centers in the US. This clinic is a collaboration between Montefiore and OnPoint to provide on-site, low-barrier addiction treatment and medical care to people who use drugs. Prior to medical training, he worked as a social worker for people living with HIV and for homeless youth, where he was first exposed to the impact that a harm reduction-informed approach can have on people’s well-being and health. Dr. Hayes’ research interests are in improving care for people who use drugs and bridging medical care and harm reduction practices. His current research is supported by an NIH award to study low-dose buprenorphine initiation for people with opioid use disorder.
