Brightwell Recovery Health

BrightWell Recovery Health understands that recovery is about persistence and perseverance, not perfection. Led by medical director Drew Fuller, MD, MPH, FASAM, FACEP, BrightWell provides recovery assistance unique for its radical compassion and positivity.

Founded November 2021, BrightWell has 10 staff and offers comprehensive addiction medicine care and co-occurring behavioral health care to assist those who are in need of help with substance use disorders and associated conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. BrightWell’s “Positivity Practice” brings a highly compassionate approach to substance use and addiction care and focuses on lifting people up.

Understanding prompt access to care is critical to help patients start or restart recovery, BrightWell strives to offer rapid access to treatment, including walk-in appointments for new patients. Telehealth and on-site service are structured to meet people where they are in their recovery journey. They offer treatment for people with dependence on opioids, sedatives (benzodiazepines), stimulants, cannabis, and other substance use disorders.

They also offer community and professional education and engagement programs including HERO (Help Everyone Recover from Opioids) and PROUD (Professionals Responding to Opioid Use Disorder).

BrightWell’s staff has years of experience in helping people through recovery. Drew Fuller is a board-certified addiction medicine specialist, a fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and a strong advocate for advancing comprehensive, compassionate, evidenced-based addiction and recovery care. Having trained in internal medicine, emergency medicine, public health, and patient safety, Fuller explains that it all came together to help develop a system of care that prioritizes rapid access to comprehensive, compassionate, evidence-based care.

“As a former emergency medicine physician, I felt we saved lives,” says Fuller. “In addiction medicine, we are returning people to their lives and saving families and communities.”

BrightWell Health has a dynamic team of clinicians and staff known for their dedication to personalized and engaging care.

Shannon Tieman, PMHNP, AGNP, CRNP, has helped found BrightWell’s co-occurring program for treating people with behavioral health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Her years of experience in primary care and mental health have shaped her positive approach to engagement. Tieman is also leading the development of a comprehensive program for helping people wean down and off benzodiazepines. Tieman is pursuing her doctoral degree in nursing practice at Johns Hopkins University.

Sofia Arnold, FNP-BC, CRNP, has provided exceptional and engaging addiction medical care in the region for over eight years. Her broad training and experience in addiction medicine, family medicine, urgent care, and intensive care have helped shape her calm and reassuring demeanor for complex care needs.

Dr. Chad Smith, DO, and Barry Myers, PA-C, have over 40 years of combined health care experience in emergency services and integrated addiction care.

Leslie Whitney, Lisa Slusher, Noel Mayeski, and Loren Buettner lead our administrative team and all excel at support and care coordination. Patients often tell Fuller, “You are lucky to have them,” and he knows it.

Fuller and the team are active with the Anne Arundel County Health Department and community partners to help end stigma and advance treatment. They serve on several county health department committees and stay active with the State Medical Association (MedChi) and the State Society of Addiction Medicine.

According to Fuller, their success lies in serving patients, families, colleagues, and communities.

“There’s nothing better than having a patient say, ‘I feel normal again,’ or having a mother who attends her daughter’s clinic visit state, ‘I’ve got my daughter back.’”