WALTHAM - Dr. Sarah E. Wakeman, an internist and leader in addiction medicine with Mass General Brigham, has been selected by the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) as the 2025 recipient of the Society’s Special Award for Excellence in Medical Service, honoring a physician who has made a distinguished demonstration of compassion and dedication to the medical needs of his or her patients and the general public.
Wakeman has been described by physician colleagues as having “revolutionized the treatment of patients with opioid use disorder within the Mass General Brigham system.” She has been instrumental in reducing stigma affecting those who seek treatment for addiction and for encouraging and supporting primary care physicians who treat patients with opioid use disorder.
She is the senior medical director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham, medical director for the Mass General Hospital Program for Substance Use and Addiction Services and a past chief medical officer for RIZE Massachusetts. Wakeman is a graduate of Brown University and Brown University Medical School. She is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) is the statewide professional association for physicians and medical students, supporting 25,000 members. We are dedicated to educating and advocating for the physicians of Massachusetts and patients locally and nationally. A leadership voice in health care, the MMS contributes physician and patient perspectives to influence health-related legislation at the state and federal levels, works in support of public health, provides expert advice on physician practice management, and addresses issues of physician well-being. Under the auspices of the NEJM Group, the MMS extends our mission globally by advancing medical knowledge from research to patient care through the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM Catalyst, and the NEJM Journal Watch family of specialty publications, and through our education products for health care professionals: NEJM Knowledge+, NEJM Resident 360, and our accredited and comprehensive continuing medical education programs.
