“State EMS Offices Respond to the Opioid Epidemic” Published by COSSAP

NASEMSO has partnered with the Center for Health and Justice (CHJ) at the Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC) to support and publicize efforts of the EMS community in tackling the overdose crisis. The partnership has resulted in the production of informative briefs and nationwide webinars reaching audiences not familiar with the role of EMS and their capabilities in responding to the addiction epidemic. As a result of this partnership, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) published a March 2023 article on its resource page titled, State Emergency Medical Services Offices Respond to the Opioid Epidemic.  This resource outlines several approaches undertaken by state EMS offices in collaboration with local EMS agencies to address the problem at its core. In addition, NASEMSO co-produced a webinar with COSSAP titled, How EMS is Impacting the Lives of Overdose Patients in North Carolina. In this webinar, State EMS Medical Director Dr. Tripp Winslow describes the EMS medication-assisted “bridge” programs developed in several countywide EMS agencies.

For more information about NASEMSO’s engagement in opioid and SUD response, contact Mary Hedges at hedges@nasemso.org and/or visit the Opioid and SUD Ad Hoc Committee.