Dr. Miller, a public-health presenter at a joint Scott County Fiscal Court and Georgetown City Council workshop, reported that the county’s syringe service program—launched in February 2019—has expanded testing, referrals and on-site care and now serves as a gateway to services including hepatitis C treatment.

Dr. Miller told elected officials the program recorded 789 total visits in the most recent 12-month reporting period and serves 136 enrolled participants. The program recorded 42 people who were “new to harm reduction” in the reporting year and an average participant age of about 40. Staff distributed 292 naloxone (Narcan) kits and said the program recorded 72 overdose responses tracked through a system called ODMAP.

Program staff emphasized the service model is anonymous and confidential; clients receive a unique identifier instead of name-based records. The program uses retractable syringes to reduce post-use safety risks for public workers, and staff said they have increased outreach, partnered with local providers and trained team members to use a referral tool called CONNECT to link clients to housing, food, insurance enrollments and treatment.

Dr. Miller said the syringe service program has identified five HIV cases and 224 hepatitis C cases since 2019. A nurse practitioner now provides on-site hepatitis C treatment and Dr. Miller reported 12 participants have accepted referrals into hepatitis C treatment. She estimated that treating those participants could represent between $80,000 and $100,000 per course of medication for each person, yielding an approximate community health-cost avoidance on the order of a million dollars if treatment courses are completed.

The program’s referral counts in the report included six people referred to substance-use-disorder treatment, seven to recovery-support groups, 22 housing referrals, 25 food referrals and other social supports; staff said they have also completed insurance enrollments on site for people who lacked coverage.

Dr. Miller described outreach approaches used to engage people who may be reluctant to test: participation in college and community health fairs, handing out business cards at events, and offering rapid tests (15-minute results) with on-site counseling and follow-up contact options. She said turnover in program staffing during the reporting year reduced the number of outreach events relative to a prior period but that stable staff and trusted relationships typically increase program reach.

Workshop participants asked about treatment access and barriers. Dr. Miller said improvements in Medicaid coverage have reduced prior hurdles to hepatitis C medication, allowing staff to enroll clients and then begin treatment. She said transportation and competing life barriers remain critical obstacles for some clients.

Panelists also discussed a separate jail-based treatment pilot that is using a device known as the “NET device” (a non-oral, short in-patient intervention referenced by presenters) and reported that the county jail has treated several people with the device. Presenters and at least one audience member who has followed the device’s development said it reduces withdrawal severity rapidly for some patients and can help bridge people into recovery services; presenters noted the device requires in-patient administration and monitoring.

Dr. Miller and other speakers said the program collaborates closely with local EMS, the Angel Program, Gathering Place Mission, Isaiah House and Recovery Works for referral pathways. Dr. Miller asked elected officials to continue public support for outreach and community health partnerships. No ordinance or vote was taken during the workshop.

The presentation and questions highlighted three themes: the syringe service program is being used to identify and treat bloodborne disease, to distribute naloxone and to connect people into broader social and medical supports; Medicaid enrollment and local partnerships were described as key enablers; and transportation and staffing continuity remain barriers to reaching some people.