Addiction and correctional medicine expertise

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Sylvie Stacy, MD, MPH brings over 12 years of experience as a physician, including both direct patient care and administrative work focused on treating the incarcerated population and patients with addictions. She is board certified in Addiction Medicine and in Preventive Medicine & Public Health, both through the American Board of Preventive Medicine. She holds 35 state medical licenses. With over 10 years in correctional medicine, she has served as a corporate-level medical director for two leading providers of correctional healthcare services, offering comprehensive care within prison and jail settings. Beyond correctional settings, she has provided addiction medicine services in various community treatment settings, including SAMHSA-certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs, aka “methadone clinics”), office-based opioid treatment centers, intensive outpatient treatment programs, and via telemedicine. Dr. Stacy is experienced in prescribing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine (Suboxone), naltrexone (Vivitrol), and methadone, as well as treatment for other substance use disorders and their co-occurring medical and mental health disorders. She is well-versed in treating opioid withdrawal, benzodiazepine withdrawal, alcohol withdrawal, and drug overdoses, including within correctional facilities. As a certified medical review officer (MRO) by the Medical Review Officer Certification Council, Dr. Stacy has in-depth knowledge of interpreting urine drug screens and drug confirmatory testing, including nuances surrounding false-positives, false-negatives, and drug test interpretation. A significant portion of Dr. Stacy's career has been devoted to utilization management. For jails and prisons, this has encompassed the review of medical necessity for offsite medical services, assessment of appropriateness for length-of-stay and level-of-care during offsite hospitalizations, and evaluation of medical necessity for emergency department referrals. In the community setting, her utilization management activities have centered around medical necessity of inpatient detox, residential treatments, and other addiction treatment services, focused on adherence to American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) level-of-care criteria. Dr. Stacy is actively involved in professional organizations, serving on the board of representatives of the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC), and previously holding board positions with the American College of Correctional Physicians and the Academy of Correctional Health Professionals. She holds a Certified Correctional Health Professional—Clinical Provider (CCHP-CP) credential from the NCCHC. She previously served on the Board of Health for her county’s health department and on the board of directors for her local medical society. Her legal consulting experience includes cases related to in-custody death, deliberate indifference, delays in care, substance use and toxicology, and standard of care in jails and prisons.