HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) recently announced a strategic investment exceeding $3.2 million, directed towards 13 organizations across the state. These funds, sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Overdose Data to Action in States cooperative agreement, are aimed at enhancing overdose prevention, treatment, and education efforts.
Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating, “Many overdoses are preventable or reversible. The organizations receiving this funding will provide services and resources to help prevent and reverse overdoses and ultimately save the lives of Pennsylvanians.” This funding is part of the Shapiro Administration’s comprehensive approach to tackling the overdose crisis, emphasizing direct engagement with individuals affected by substance use disorders.
Award Recipients and Initiatives
The funding will be distributed among three primary categories: substance use navigation programs, harm reduction organizations, and community-based organizations. Each category is designed to address different aspects of overdose prevention and substance use disorder management.
- PA-SUN (Substance Use Navigation Program): This program aims to bolster health systems’ capacity to screen and support individuals with opioid and stimulant use disorders. The goal is to establish emergency department linkages to care, enhance universal screening, and identify engagement opportunities.
- Allegheny-Singer Research Institute (Allegheny County): $301,470.26
- Geisinger Clinic (Lackawanna County): $315,139.97
- Temple University Hospital (Philadelphia County): $323,579.59
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Allegheny County): $324,997.74
- Harm Reduction Organizations: These groups will expand overdose education, naloxone distribution, and connect individuals to necessary services including drug checking facilities and treatment options.
- AIDS Care Group (Delaware County): $306,000.00
- Drexel University (Philadelphia County): $303,760.67
- Lancaster Harm Reduction Project (Lancaster County): $266,859.81
- Lehigh Valley Hospital (Lehigh County): $288,248.09
- Community-Based Organizations: These entities will focus on connecting their communities to overdose prevention resources and substance use disorder services, with a particular emphasis on outreach to demographics experiencing higher overdose rates.
- Men of the Community (Erie County): $310,650.20
- Public Health Management Corporation (Philadelphia County): $312,500.00
Additionally, a novel biosurveillance program has been launched in collaboration with the DOH Bureau of Laboratories to monitor suspected overdose-related emergency department visits. This will facilitate the identification of new substances within the drug supply and inform targeted response strategies. Participating health systems, including Penn State Health, Temple University Hospital, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, will receive up to $50,000 each to support this initiative.
The investment highlights an urgent need to address the overdose crisis through a multifaceted approach, integrating prevention, treatment, and data-driven interventions to improve public health outcomes and save lives. Further funding announcements are expected as additional initiatives unfold.
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