Maryland's first 'stabilization center' opens in Baltimore (WBFF)

Wednesday Mar 28th, 2018

Baltimore City has a new way to fight the opioid crisis. Mayor Catherine Pugh announced plans for the State’s first Stabilization Center, which will open next year.

It will be located at the former Hebrew Orphan Asylum, at 2700 Rayner Avenue in the city's Coppin Heights community.

"Like many cities across our country, Baltimore is working to counteract the opioid epidemic that has devastated families and disrupted whole communities," said Mayor Pugh.

"This first-of-its-kind 'Stabilization Center' will provide critical resources for those dealing with the disease of addiction and support their determination to get their lives back on track and become productive citizens of our community. I am grateful to my former colleagues of the Maryland General Assembly and Governor Hogan for providing the funding for this treatment and support center. I am also grateful to our Health Commissioner, Dr. Leana Wen, for leading this important initiative."

Read the entire story.

Related Stories

Lead poisoning cases fell 19 percent in Baltimore last year, even as more children tested for exposure (Baltimore Sun)

The number of Baltimore children with lead poisoning fell 19 percent in 2017, even as more children were tested for exposure to the powerful neurotoxin.

Statewide, the number of Maryland children found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood held steady even as the number of children tested increased by 10 percent, according to a Maryland Department of the Environment report released Tuesday.

Read the entire story.

Trump declared an emergency over opioids. A new report finds it led to very little. (Vox)

To much fanfare last year, President Donald Trump ordered his administration to declare a public health emergency over the opioid epidemic. “As Americans, we cannot allow this to continue,” Trump said at the time. “It is time to liberate our communities from this scourge of drug addiction.”

When I’ve asked experts about these approaches, it’s not that any of them are bad. It’s that they fall short. For instance, Leana Wen, the former health commissioner of Baltimore (and soon-to-be president of Planned Parenthood), said that the Support for Patients and Communities Act “is simply tinkering around the edges.”

Read the entire story.

Azar Unveils Plan to Help Pregnant Patients Quit Opioids (MedPage Today)

States will get help from the federal government integrating services for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid patients with opioid use disorder under a pilot program announced Tuesday by Health and Hu

Visit the Newsroom