CRANSTON – Gov. Daniel J. McKee, the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services and its partners announced a pilot program on Aug. 31 that will provide direct care to people who have significant wounds, particularly those who have used the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine.
The six-month program, which was announced on International Overdose Awareness Day, is an extension of the Office of Health and Human Services’ existing medical respite program and is supported by more than $300,000 in opioid abatement funding from recent settlements.
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A key benefit of the pilot is that it will reach people who have been exposed to xylazine, McKee said. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer that is not approved for human use but has been found in combination with fentanyl in the illicit drug supply. It can cause deep sedation that lasts for hours.
The use of xylazine has also been associated with skin and other soft-tissue wounds, which can result in serious and sometimes deadly infections if left untreated, EOHHS Secretary Richard Charest said. If combined with opioids or other sedative drugs, xylazine can also lead to breathing problems.
The initiative is meant to support McKee’s Overdose Task Force Strategic Plan and Rhode Island 2030 goals focused on enhancing public health and wellness, as well as prioritizing housing, according to the announcement.
“This partnership is just the latest in Rhode Island’s ongoing effort to address substance use and this overdose crisis and save and improve lives of Rhode Islanders,” McKee said in a statement.
As part of the program, certified wound care specialists will partner with several state agencies, including the EOHHS, the R.I. Department of Health and the R.I. Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, to engage and develop relationships with community-based organizations.
These organizations will include drop-in centers, harm-reduction peer organizations and homelessness service providers. Teams will conduct direct street outreach, as well as in shelters, meal sites and soup kitchens.
The first phase of the program includes providers undergoing trauma-informed and anti-stigma training that is provided by a person who has lived with drug addiction.
“Westbay Community Action is partnering with the state of Rhode Island, EOHHS, RIDOH and many community partners to bring a mobile medical respite wound care program directly to individuals in the community throughout the state,” said Paul Salera, CEO and president of Westbay Community Action. “This program will be ‘boots on the ground,’ meeting people where they are at in the community to ensure that each individual will have the treatment and care necessary to maintain their health.”
