- Baltimore, Maryland. For WMAR, Baltimore’s local ABC affiliate, Bryna Zumer reports on Baltimore County’s new Quick Response Team that “will deploy specially-trained EMS staff and peer recovery specialists to respond to overdose calls… [provide] services like free [Narcan]… and access to treatment.” The new team, a partnership between the county’s Department of Health and Fire Department, is funded through a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant. After an overdose event, Baltimore County Health Officer Dr. Gregory Branch explained to the local Fox affiliate, Fox45, that the Quick Response Team will also follow up with the patient to provide additional medical care and connection to services, “from helping to schedule appointments to coordination of transportation to substance rehabilitation locations.”
- Portland, Oregon. For the Portland Mercury, Courtney Vaughn reports that a surge in calls for opioid overdoses in Portland has overwhelmed the emergency system. In response, Portland Fire and Rescue created the Mobile Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) program, which will allow EMTs to enroll patients in a detox program, administer Narcan to treat overdoses, and provide buprenorphine to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms.
