[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6558884,"mediaKeyId","3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee","parentId",3229028,"title","Hospitals and public labs warn of xylazine and testing gaps as advocates press for more MAT access","audioSeconds",1742,"startMs",942310,"endMs",2684780,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee&start=942&end=2684","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee/thumbnail_942310.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6558884/Hospitals-and-public-labs-warn-of-xylazine-and-testing-gaps-as-advocates-press-for-more-MAT-access","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558884-e16eae9de1a876c7573adea8e9cd5f89/orig.mp4?Expires=1774893468&Signature=LwATYIeMmFKJy-TT24B5jMUVV8uaJYNgJ0zu3sJBHPOQyogS0WQtnWv3-VM-Uz1GzItefJlz17633TZ4e3wzSCmRtkGnnh2fmGADLEu-MUYRxHZdFeLfavXnJjOfcET2jO3Lzya422OXPreEDaw~HnRdWUZaa9nOeN0AiccecsM9gHHL67FGqTsLmPi8uGJhJWzEeBlvgfc0nMj8ti2sgmFgG20Z~Y6Ijox-VAYcuGZ2FdYW4ngFUszsseddcl71RVbIfhhplqKsaLqZLa2lciTHOllVdAkx9wYpxuFZlAHGjUIeXQtFQNF87HsbXZjHClOITNYkr2UPAjZrzlvUgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","District of Columbia (Health)","date","2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","article","Clinicians, forensic laboratory staff and reentry advocates told the Committee on Health that the District’s illicit drug supply is changing and that hospitals and labs need more resources to test, treat and follow people who survive overdoses.

Thaddeus Winston, overdose survivor outreach coordinator at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, told the committee that clinicians have seen a surge in a presentation in which patients are unresponsive despite naloxone. He said this pattern is consistent with the spread of alpha‑2 agonist adulterants such as xylazine and related compounds. \"I'm ringing the alarm: in the past two months we've seen 40 of these identical presentations,\" Winston said, and he recommended expanded toxicology testing and consideration of different treatment approaches in the emergency setting.

Hospital and emergency medicine witnesses said little bedside testing can detect some alpha‑2 agonists because they metabolize quickly. \"Xylazine is nearly impossible to detect at bedside,\" Winston said; he urged funding for rapid testing and for OCME and public labs to build analytic capacity.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Department of Forensic Science testified that settlement and OAC funding has supported expanded toxicology capacity. OCME staff said enhanced reference libraries and laboratory upgrades are essential because novel synthetic additives regularly emerge and forensic testing must update instrument libraries to identify them. OCME witnesses said the laboratory aims to finalize most postmortem toxicology reports within 60 days, but complex cases and new substances can lengthen that timeframe.

On treatment access, providers said older patients present distinct challenges. Dr. Edwin Chapman and health‑system witnesses described higher MAT dosing needs among patients exposed to potent illicit fentanyl mixes and noted that insurance rules — especially Medicare Part D prior authorization practices — can limit access to higher buprenorphine doses for older or dual‑eligible patients.

Joshua Lynch, chief medical officer of the MATTERS program, described an electronic referral and telemedicine model that provides same‑day buprenorphine prescriptions, real‑time appointment slots and follow‑up to reduce gaps after an ED visit or jail release. \"Real time electronic referrals to high quality treatment providers that provide appointment slots that are accessible 24/7,\" Lynch said, summarizing key components the program offers to prevent people from falling through the cracks.

Why this matters: providers and lab staff told the committee that faster and broader testing for adulterants, along with funding to expand MAT capacity and to negotiate reimbursement rules for older patients, are immediate priorities to reduce fatal and nonfatal overdoses.

Ending: Witnesses recommended targeted OCME and public‑lab funding, rapid distribution of xylazine test strips and piloting hospital‑based same‑day telemedicine MAT models. Committee members asked agencies to return with concrete plans and budgets to scale toxicology and MAT access.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","District of Columbia (Health) - Committee on Health, Public Roundtable, Christina Henderson, Chairperson - May 07, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Clinicians, forensic staff and reentry advocates at the Committee on Health roundtable described increasing detections of xylazine and other nonopioid adulterants, limits of bedside testing, and barriers to medication for addiction treatment for older patients on Medicare.","taxTitle","Committee on Health, Committees, Legislative, District of Columbia","taxId",16182,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6558888,"Advocates push drug‑checking and expanded harm‑reduction; officials say vending machines and naloxone distribution show results",514,6937790,7452200,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee&start=6937&end=7452","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee/thumbnail_6937790.jpg","/articles/6558888/Advocates-push-drugchecking-and-expanded-harmreduction-officials-say-vending-machines-and-naloxone-distribution-show-results","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558888-beac37879dc475b4111729d604cdc45b/orig.mp4?Expires=1774893468&Signature=RxzpIhZ7GkmiND0O7x8XGNxSMuKyLXdbmRUNfTQdHlThgadHkno68D~PVNwfLx9HMNoeaj5OFlRSVjXK9KVwpJO8F3LNXUW4dYuyAFg9sqsgFEqCFL7Y3iseFROL2YTm8i0Xp9KZNYunpjtYzNHe6fDWh3RBpHri0Rk1UknQUmIMENokoo-Viyz5aI2yRr4Ry02mcp1jf5TiDqomnpUuc0SMIDUHO0omxk64~3MTOiy99Amlb6kvN0W~JFBEAQJv6JsVK87wyK1VWzAe4uYqLnwxlD17fvxpe8nTmkxucG~a564MgPgkA5Ze1Ds4A33yT5DYdKOr1PTerW5505CZSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Harm‑reduction organizations and advocates told the Committee on Health on May 7 that vending machines, drug‑checking and safe‑consumption models can save lives — but that city implementation of key tools has been slower than promised.

Cindy Clay, executive director of HIPS, told the committee HIPS operates harm‑reduction vending machines that have dispensed tens of thousands of prevention items but that the machines are running empty frequently. \"The machines...are so popular that they're being emptied,\" she said, and added that nonprofit partners do not have sufficient staff or operating funds to restock and maintain the machines at current usage rates.

Clay and other witnesses also urged rapid implementation of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and other drug‑checking devices to give community groups real‑time data on dangerous batches. \"FTR drug checking machine implementation\" has been in budgets for more than a year, Clay said, and community groups are ready to operate programs that would allow users and outreach teams to know what is in a sample before use.

Queen Adesawi, a community advocate with Reframe Health and Justice, urged the city to consider overdose prevention centers — supervised consumption sites that operate in other nations and in one New York City program — saying such centers reduce public drug use, collect hazardous waste and intervene early in overdoses. \"There has not been a single recorded fatal overdose at OnPoint or any facility that operates safe consumption in the several other countries that operate them ever,\" she said, citing experience from OnPoint NYC.

City officials defended the existing harm‑reduction work and noted recent scale‑ups. Department of Behavioral Health Director Barbara J. Bazaron said the administration has distributed more than 367,000 naloxone kits since Live Long DC began and placed vending machines in strategic locations, with plans to add more machines this year. Bazaron said the vending machines were deployed based on data and that the administration will add six more by the end of the fiscal year.

Why this matters: drug‑checking and supervised consumption are controversial in some political and legal contexts but are proven in other jurisdictions to reduce fatal overdoses and public health harms. The advocates at the roundtable asked DBH and other city agencies to accelerate implementation of tools — including FTIR testing and expanded vending machine support — and to resolve administrative or regulatory barriers that delay community use of advanced testing.

Ending: DBH said it will continue to expand vending machines and that city partners are discussing how to accelerate drug‑checking pilot programs. Advocates said they are ready to operate testing and outreach if city agencies finalize legal and regulatory steps and provide modest additional operating funds.","Harm‑reduction groups told the Committee on Health they need faster implementation of drug‑checking machines and more support to keep harm‑reduction vending machines stocked; DBH said naloxone distribution and vending machines are part of a larger prevention and treatment strategy.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6558889,"Providers praise Opioid Abatement Commission grants but say delays and one‑year awards undermine programs",1832,747850,2580000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee&start=747&end=2580","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee/thumbnail_747850.jpg","/articles/6558889/Providers-praise-Opioid-Abatement-Commission-grants-but-say-delays-and-oneyear-awards-undermine-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558889-993fff79e3233d26626a461feb5fd74d/orig.mp4?Expires=1774893469&Signature=dQmCospAP7DCOzcQyteeho9Lv~aSXwE2kn-tQ0d1IoXDiMjH0j7hgqVZJeMIyo9zTNvEvcMeQtA6eC50EV7NVOc~5woBUEAO3-B~WE-EqW-Rdn71X2VY5K2JwlB-UrbDaF8OMwCSbqprfJlnGPY~JZQADZ6kizCeRZPV5n~ptnRdzcxpaRJrkrhRhbH~HxZcyXN1wLob8IxNby8MP4bct8KI4Bqe4dqRZDRVfprAT-862a1HF0~g~gEnOXoEKRX-z41dhdqPoADAyw2l5ijJRckAV5SyL5JlrClUhf~iAGqdP52obhkU5oW-iR7xAWjkw4QrVdVkGp39EDRoJZV6Ig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Service providers, grant recipients and commission members used Wednesday’s Committee on Health roundtable to praise new investments from the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission while describing recurring administrative delays and short grant timelines that they said undercut program success.

Chad Jackson, chair of the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, told the committee the commission \"has received a little over $25,000,000 and disbursed or awarded about half of those dollars.\" He said the commission has focused awards on programs directly related to reducing opioid use disorder or overdose deaths.

Provider testimony documented multiple problems with timing. Judy Ashburn, vice president of clinical programs at Samaritan Inn, described a successful transitional supportive housing program that opened quickly after a December 2024 award, noting 18 of 19 beds filled almost immediately. But other witnesses said many grantees experienced delays of months before funds were available, forcing compressed start dates and shortened spending periods.

Sums of money and examples cited at the roundtable include a $400,000 award to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for forensic toxicology capacity and roughly $250,000 for workforce development, both cited by Jackson. Several provider witnesses said compressed timelines required revision of budgets and reduced program scope: Sum Inc. reported an award timeline that was delayed and resulted in an effective loss of award months and an overall reduced spendable period.

Why this matters: several witnesses said short, one‑year awards or grants that start late make it difficult to build sustainable programs — particularly housing and longer‑term recovery supports. Ashburn said her program expects some people to need 18 months to two years of supportive housing to reach stable footing, and providers asked the commission to consider multi‑year funding or renewals for programs that meet goals.

Jackson acknowledged operational friction points. He described procurement and internal processing delays and said the Opioid Abatement Office has improved staff capacity but that grant processing still “takes several months to process that grant and get the budgetary requirements put into place.” He said the commission is tracking outcomes and hopes to prioritize successful grantees for follow‑on funding rather than continually running new competitions.

Providers and coalition leaders asked the commission and city to improve transparency and faster disbursement. Several witnesses also urged the Office of Opioid Abatement and Department of Behavioral Health to streamline reporting and technical support so community organizations — many of them small nonprofits — can manage awards without absorbing unrecoverable costs.

Panelists also recommended that the commission direct a portion of funds toward longer‑term infrastructure — for example, reliable transitional housing and workforce supports — rather than only relatively small, short‑term pilot grants.

Ending note: The commission chair and DBH staff told the committee they are refining grant management systems and exploring ways to reduce delays. The committee said it will continue oversight and requested written reports from the commission and DBH on grant timelines and implementation metrics.","Grantees and commission members told the Committee on Health that settlement funds and commission grants have funded housing and treatment programs but that bureaucratic delays and short award timelines have compressed service delivery and reduced effectiveness.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6558890,"Fatal opioid deaths fall in 2024 but disparities persist, DC roundtable finds",8867,10640,8878430,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee&start=10&end=8878","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3229028-97467051fceaf35459e4c161e3f83eee/thumbnail_10640.jpg","/articles/6558890/Fatal-opioid-deaths-fall-in-2024-but-disparities-persist-DC-roundtable-finds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558890-5eeb6b9adf374a44c53b5158cd6372b0/orig.mp4?Expires=1774893469&Signature=H2BNE~RGIn2TEF2aG4RwbzB1188k71tcCrjSERwz4WPVkwXqJFjx7kKC2p1lbkEBh43Fa~jtvGJI-B49fbx0dKJHhNkwRD6SavZTkf-TnezotfhnnJM0~jSxrscDPkgqQAOtJt9ZnoiShadTpqsxSAZKyrNFzyGqAhy1GAg~Ge6DLK1jfI~AYX-MsXvBeZWL2bj7PTzjTQEJrcQ6ctNmCRUEz3cA~kiw5ik7aegk7Ptg6StDL8dJKn2QtAEQtYTO6hu8pwoISs8R8ufYdnhBvhHoyEBBF262bGdNeVlrJscUeQ3agnBCnhEDKjD~e~4xerZVJwAF0pl3HPYcDLXi4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a public roundtable Wednesday, Councilmember Christina Henderson, chair of the Committee on Health, reported a significant decline in fatal opioid overdoses in the District of Columbia while warning that major problems remain.

\"Since 2018, the district has been grappling with an opioid crisis that has tragically claimed the lives of 2,660 residents,\" Henderson said, and she noted that city data show a 34 percent drop in fatal overdoses in 2024 compared with 2023. She added: \"this positive trend has so far continued into 2025.\"

Why this matters: the decline in deaths is the most immediately visible metric of progress, but city officials and providers told the Committee that the crisis persists in other measures and in particular populations. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and health agencies have begun to refine toxicology and real‑time surveillance, and the Mayor’s Live Long DC plan and the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission are directing funding and program work.

Officials and service providers described the mixed picture. The city reported more than 18,000 suspected opioid overdoses reversed with naloxone by Fire and EMS and community partners since 2018. However, nonfatal overdoses have not fallen at the same pace; the roundtable record shows 4,798 nonfatal overdoses in the most recent year, a 6.3 percent decline from the prior year.

The roundtable also highlighted stark disparities. Henderson said the burden of fatal overdoses remains concentrated among older Black men, with particularly high impacts in several wards. \"The impact of this crisis has disproportionately affected older Black men,\" she said, and the committee record shows Black men accounted for about 71 percent of fatal overdoses between February 2024 and January 2025. Nearly 60 percent of fatal overdoses involved people aged 50 or older.

City agencies emphasized that the decline in deaths likely reflects many factors rather than a single policy change. Department of Behavioral Health Director Barbara J. Bazaron said the administration had pursued a “whole of government” approach and credited a combination of harm reduction, expanded access to medication for addiction treatment, peer supports and enhanced data systems.

The panel also flagged a changing illicit drug supply — including wider detection of nonopioid adulterants — as a continuing risk to public safety and a driver of nonfatal overdoses.

Looking ahead: witnesses at the roundtable called for continued, sustained investment in surveillance, harm reduction and treatment access, and urged the commission and agencies to speed grant disbursements and to prioritize programs that address housing and reentry barriers that complicate recovery.

Methodology: The account above summarizes testimony and remarks delivered to the Committee on Health at a May 7, 2025 public roundtable and relies on statistics and statements presented by participants and city officials during that session.","At a May 7 Committee on Health roundtable, city and community officials said fatal opioid overdoses declined in 2024 but that nonfatal overdoses, the changing drug supply and racial and age disparities remain urgent challenges.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hospitals and public labs warn of xylazine and testing gaps as advocates press for more MAT access

Advocates push drug‑checking and expanded harm‑reduction; officials say vending machines and naloxone distribution show results

Providers praise Opioid Abatement Commission grants but say delays and one‑year awards undermine programs

Fatal opioid deaths fall in 2024 but disparities persist, DC roundtable finds