# Integrated Care for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder: The IMPOWR Research Center at Montefiore/Einstein (IMPOWR-ME)

> **NIH NIH RM1** · ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $2,371,942

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Chronic pain (CP) and opioid use disorder (OUD) are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United
States. Despite being commonly comorbid, there is a striking lack of integrated treatments accessible to people
in need. This is particularly true for Black and Hispanic individuals living and seeking care in under-resourced
settings like The Bronx, NY, one of the poorest and most racially diverse counties in the U.S. Submitted in
response to the HEAL Initiative: Integrative Management of Chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery
(IMPOWR) RFA-DA-21-030, the overall goal of this proposal is to create the IMPOWR Research Center at
Montefiore/Einstein (“IMPOWR-ME”), in the high-impact county of The Bronx NY. IMPOWR-ME is a synergistic
multidisciplinary research center that leverages exceptional research infrastructure in CP and OUD and
existing relationships with people living with CP and OUD, advocates, policymakers and payers, and health
system stakeholders. The aims of IMPOWR-ME are to: 1) create a robust and sustainable research
infrastructure to rigorously test and disseminate integrated and cost-effective evidence-based
practices for people with CP and OUD; 2) partner with people with lived experience with CP, OUD, or
both, and diverse stakeholders in all stages of the research; and 3) provide opportunities for
multidisciplinary early stage investigators to become independent researchers focusing on CP and
OUD. Three innovative hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trials are proposed to rigorously examine
multi-modal evidence-based practices in diverse health care settings and populations of people with comorbid
CP and OUD. Specifically, we propose: 1) a three-arm trial of yoga and physical therapy onsite at methadone
opioid treatment programs, 2) a 2x2 factorial trial to test Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and a care
management smartphone app for individuals in primary-care based buprenorphine treatment, and 3) a two-arm
trial to test microdosing vs. standard induction of buprenorphine for hospitalized patients. Participants in all
projects have both CP and OUD or opioid misuse, and specific aims for each project will examine CP, OUD,
implementation, and cost-effectiveness outcomes; additional patient-centered outcomes will be driven by
people with lived experience. All three projects improve access to care for Black and Hispanic individuals in
under-resourced settings by bringing integrated treatment of CP and OUD to them, and the interventions have
high potential for dissemination and sustainability. An innovative program for pilot studies achieves a dual aim
of catalyzing stakeholder-driven research and training early stage and new investigators. An exceptional team
of investigators and clinical experts focused on CP and OUD, a longstanding history of collaboration with
stakeholders and people with lived experience, and a high-impact population make Montefiore-Einstein an
ideal site for an IMPOWR research center.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10900634
- **Project number:** 5RM1DA055437-03
- **Recipient organization:** ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** JULIA H. ARNSTEN
- **Activity code:** RM1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $2,371,942
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-30 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10900634

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10900634, Integrated Care for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder: The IMPOWR Research Center at Montefiore/Einstein (IMPOWR-ME) (5RM1DA055437-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10900634. Licensed CC0.

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