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Essex County approves hospital agreements and expands overdose‑response pilot
Summary
The board approved contract extensions for hospital services and a business‑associate agreement with University Hospital to allow the county’s quick‑response overdose outreach team to receive case information; the pilot has about 250 individuals waiting for outreach, county staff said.
The Essex County Board of Commissioners approved several health‑department related contracts and a data‑sharing agreement intended to expand the county’s quick‑response overdose outreach pilot.
Joel Torres, Division of Community Health Services, described the pilot launched in December and staffed with a case manager and a peer recovery specialist. Torres said University Hospital will share case and client information with county outreach staff so the team can contact people who survived non‑fatal overdoses; he reported the team currently has about 250 individuals waiting to be contacted pending approval of the agreement.
Earlier in the same block the board approved two related contract extensions for Essex County Hospital Center: a 24‑month linen rental and laundry services contract (amount listed as not to exceed $167,000) and a 24‑month extension with Clinical Services Management (not to exceed $114,000) to assist with joint commission reviews and policy review.
Torres said a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant recently approved by the board will support program continuation for up to four years, contingent on performance and reapplication. Commissioners asked how the pilot could become permanent; Torres said federal grant funding and partnerships with Rutgers University and University Hospital could extend and expand medical support for the outreach work.
The board approved the contracts and the business‑associate agreement by roll call.
