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Committee report: syringe access pickup crew collected tens of thousands of syringes; ODS waiver expands continuum of care
Summary
The Community & Public Health Committee reported increases in kiosk collections, a text-based pickup crew (90,000 syringes collected in its first six months) and progress on the Organized Delivery System (ODS) waiver for substance-abuse care; commissioners requested follow-up on start dates and effectiveness metrics.
During the commission's committee report, Commissioner Loyce summarized two presentations: updates on the syringe access program and on the Organized Delivery System (ODS) for substance-abuse services.
On syringe access, commissioners learned there are 10 kiosks in the field (including at navigation centers) and multiple small collection boxes. The San Francisco AIDS Foundation helped organize a pickup crew that responds to texted reports of syringes; staff said that pickup crew collected approximately 90,000 syringes in the first six months of the program and typically arrived within an hour of a report. A photo-confirmation practice documents the cleared site.
A commissioner noted the program's effect on HIV incidence among people who inject drugs: a presenter said new HIV infections in that population fell from about 110 in 2010 to 38 in 2016, and credited syringe access among other factors.
On the ODS waiver and organizational delivery system, committee members reported that providers, including residential treatment, are transitioning toward drug-medical/residential continuum models with improved care coordination. Presenters said the system has exceeded state penetration goals for medical residential authorization and 15-day admission targets in several measures; staff committed to returning with an exact ODS start date and to annual progress reports.
Commissioners asked for a follow-up presentation a year after implementation to evaluate outcomes and to provide more detailed citations for claims about one-for-one exchanges and need-based distribution. The department agreed to obtain exact start dates and continue reporting.
