Conversations with CEI
2021-01
Episodes
Friday Jan 22, 2021
“Where they feel honored as a human being.”
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Friday Jan 22, 2021
[The following episode was initially recorded as part of "Any Positive Change", which has since merged with Conversations with CEI]
The medical clinic at New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYHRE) provides access to healthcare right in the middle of the drop-in center. Participants who come for sterile injection equipment can also receive treatment for hepatitis C and be prescribed buprenorphine, a medication for opioid use disorder, on-site at NYHRE. Perhaps more importantly, they receive all of this at a clinic that is loving, nurturing, and provides non-stigmatizing care to people who use drugs. Hear about how the NYHRE clinic operates and why it is so important to provide this low-barrier model of care to people who use drugs, from Brianna Norton, DO, Medical Director of the NYHRE medical clinic, and Christine Fitzsimmons, RN. Brianna and Christine also talk about the challenges faced during the pandemic, and how they are staying connected to their patients to keep them safe and healthy.
Tuesday Jan 12, 2021
”It‘s already rough out here.”
Tuesday Jan 12, 2021
Tuesday Jan 12, 2021
[The following episode was initially recorded as part of "Any Positive Change", which has since merged with Conversations with CEI]
Syringe service programs play a critical role in the lives of people who use drugs, providing not only sterile injection equipment and naloxone kits for overdose reversal, but also a safe and welcoming place to take a shower and get a cup of coffee. Some programs, like New York Harm Reduction Educators (NYHRE) in East Harlem, also provide medical care, including hepatitis C treatment and buprenorphine, a medication for opioid use disorder. In early 2019, when the Covid pandemic hit New York City and led to widespread disruptions in routine healthcare delivery, syringe service programs like NYHRE rapidly adjusted their model of care in order to sustain their life-saving programming. Hear from Sheree, a participant at NYHRE as well as Pia Marcus, Director of Syringe Access and Outreach for NYHRE and Washington Heights Corner Program, about their experiences.