Andrea Yatsco, PhD, CADC, LCDC

Assistant Professor and Associate Director of HEROES

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Department of Clinical and Health Informatics

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Contact

[email protected] | 713-500-3581

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BioSketch

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HEROES

Dr. Andrea Yatsco is a research-track Assistant Professor at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston, formerly UTHealth Houston School of Biomedical Informatics (SBMI). Dr. Yatsco is the Associate Director of the Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (HEROES), a national clinical trial providing comprehensive treatment for individuals suffering from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The program is a collaborative partnership with the Houston Fire Department, Houston Police Department, Houston Recovery Center, and Memorial Hermann Hospital. Dr. Yatsco handles clinical research and oversight of all direct patient care. Dr. Yatsco also provides support for other grant funded research projects, including the Heroes Helpline for first responders, and application of the HEROES model in other at-risk populations and expansion into extended geographic areas.

Dr. Yatsco’s previous work and educational training has focused on behavioral analysis and collaborative interventions for individuals with substance use disorders. Dr. Yatsco received her Doctorate of Philosophy in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University. Her undergraduate work at the University of Arizona focused on psychological and sociological predictors of deviant behavior. Dr. Yatsco is an internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor in Texas. She has worked extensively with justice-involved individuals, and has counseled incarcerated populations in state and county correctional facilities in Massachusetts with an emphasis on continuum of care post-incarceration. She has provided behavioral services and court support to families and adolescent offenders in Vermont. Dr. Yatsco is a previous adjunct professor of Becker College where she taught curriculum in the undergraduate forensic psychology concentration. She also developed grant funded substance education and adolescent development education for Becker’s accelerated learning program.

Dr. Yatsco is a member of the National Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), the Texas Association of Addiction professionals (TAAP), and the National Association for Medication Assisted Recovery (NAMA-R). She has published articles in top tiered, peer-reviewed journals, including International Journal of Drug Policy, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, and the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. Dr. Yatsco has presented her research nationally at many prestigious professional conferences in public health, criminal justice, and addiction, including Academy Health (AH), the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).

“Access to evidenced-based healthcare and compassionate professionals is vital for those battling the disease of addiction and substance use disorders. A united public health response that educates, reduces stigma, and breaks down silos to form collaborative behavioral interventions is necessary for improved quality of life outcomes,” said Yatsco.

• Tell us about your research center and/or what research/work you are currently working on?
  UT Health Houston - Heroes is a comprehensive care coordination system helping navigate patients through the complex recovery journey based on an understanding of physical and psychological components of substance use, related mental health issues, treatment, and recovery. Community providers share data and provide referrals when individuals meet specific substance use and related mental health criteria. The program provides assertive community outreach, educating on treatment options and helping individuals navigate recovery. The program is comprised of peer recovery specialists, chemical dependency counselors, licensed and clinical social workers, research scientists, research coordinators, doctors, physicians, nurse practitioners, statisticians, academic professors, and data analysts. The Heroes program is a part of UT Health’s Center for Health Systems Analytics which houses additional projects including the Heroes Helpline for first responders, a Young Heroes program for adolescents, Family Support services, an Educational Campaign, and the mobile unit Project Integra, a joint initiative with UT Health’s Department of Internal Medicine.
• What does the future of your research look like?
  Current research projects include expanding outreach and resource referrals across the state of Texas as part of the Texas ICON Project, which kicked off in 2023. More information can be found at https://sbmi.uth.edu/cbear/texas-icon.htm
• What does the future of informatics look like?
  Data gathering and re-incorporation of responses and interventions are crucially important to the future of informatics. Practical applications of patterns, trends, and predictive models is important to take the data back to systems of care and the local landscape.
• What major UTHealth Houston departments/institutes do you collaborate with?
  Emergency Medicine; Occupational Health at the School of Public Health; UTHealth Trauma and Resilience Center (TRC)