Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Crisis in Pennsylvania

Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Crisis in Pennsylvania

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testimony

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  • For Immediate Release
  • October 2, 2024

MEDIA ADVISORY

Public Hearing on Opioid and Substance Use Disorder Crisis in Pennsylvania

What: The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors, Center staff, and other state and local officials and stakeholders are holding a public hearing at Kutztown University in Berks County to address the pressing challenges of the opioid crisis and substance use disorders in the Commonwealth. This will be the Center's 20th hearing focused on opioid and SUD issues, coinciding with its 10-year anniversary of addressing the public health emergency.

Who:
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors

  • Senator Gene Yaw, Chair
  • Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, Vice Chair
  • Dr. Nancy Falvo, Pennsylvania Western University Clarion, Secretary
  • Mr. Stephen M. Brame, Governor's Representative, Treasurer
  • Senator Judy Schwank
  • Representative Dan Moul
  • Mr. Richard Esch, University of Pittsburgh
  • Dr. Timothy Kelsey, Pennsylvania State University
  • Ms. Shannon M. Munro, Pennsylvania College of Technology
  • Dr. Charles Patterson, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
  • Ms. Susan Snelick, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College
  • Mr. Darrin Youker, Governor's Representative
  • Dr. Jeffrey Hyde, Penn State Extension

Expected Speakers:

  • Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson, President of Kutztown University

Expected Testifiers:

Panel 1: State Government Perspectives on Opioid/SUD Policy
  • Dr. Latika Davis-Jones, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
  • Kelly Primus,* Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (Testimony)
Panel 2: SUD Treatment Providers
  • Dr. William Santoro, Chief, Section of Addiction Medicine, St. Luke's University Hospital Network and Immediate Past President of the Pennsylvania Society of Addiction Medicine (Testimony)
  • Kim Botteicher, Executive Director, FAVOR-Western PA (Testimony)
Panel 3: Updates from the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
  • Brian Michael, Director, Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA (Testimony)
  • Tamar Wallace,* Public Health Analyst, Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA
  • Van Jackson,* Drug Intelligence Officer, Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA
  • Andrew Thompson,* Intelligence Support Center Manager, Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA
Panel 4: Linkages Between SUD, Childcare Access, and Maternal Health
  • Rebecka Rosenquist, Health Policy Director, PolicyLab, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Testimony)
  • Dr. Jennifer Whittaker, Research Scientist, PolicyLab, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Testimony)

(* Participation in question-and-answer period only.)

Written Testimony:

  • Kathy Noll, Executive Director, Council on Chemical Abuse (Testimony)

When: Wednesday, October 16, 10:00 a.m.
View agenda and testimony.

Where: Georgian Room of Old Main at Kutztown University, 15220 Kutztown Rd., Kutztown, PA 19530

Livestream: www.SenatorGeneYaw.com.

Contact: Katie Park, Communications Manager, Center for Rural Pennsylvania, (717) 787-9555, kpark@rural.pa.gov

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Center works with the legislature, educators, state and federal executive branch agencies, and national, statewide, regional and local organizations to maximize resources and strategies that can better serve Pennsylvania's nearly 3.4 million rural residents.

Contact

Katie Park, Communications Manager
Center for Rural Pennsylvania
717.787.9555