2021 WCCA Fall Meeting: Health, Safety, and Social Services Committee Meeting

2021 WCCA Fall Meeting: Health, Safety, and Social Services Committee Meeting

Wednesday, September 22

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall

Gillette, Wyoming

Health, Safety, and Social Services Committee

Chairman Fred Frandson, Washakie County

Co-Chair Gunnar Malm, Laramie County

Committee Meeting Agenda Topics

• Suicide and Substance Abuse Prevention – Angie Van Houten, Section Chief, Department of Health and Stephanie Pyle, Senior Administrator, Department of Health

• COVID-19 Pandemic Response – Alexia Harrist, MD, PhD, State Epidemiologist and State Health Officer, Department of Health

• Rural EMS Service – Jen Davis, Health and Human Services Policy Advisor, Office of the Governor; Commissioner Larry Allen, Fremont; Commissioner Pete Gosar, Albany; Commissioner Jeff Smith, Sweetwater

• Telecommunicator Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – Richard Garrett, State Government Relations Director, American Heart Association

  • 22LSO-0037 v0.4 Telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation. (https://wyoleg.gov/InterimCommittee/2021/08-2021081722LSO-0037v0.4.pdf)

• Indigent Burial Draft Agreement

• Interim Topic Discussion: Mental health and substance abuse disorder issues and opportunities, Title 25

Minutes from Previous Meeting

5/20/21

WCCA Health, Safety & Social Services Committee

Fred Frandson – Chair, Washakie County

Gunnar Malm – Co-Chair, Laramie County

(NDM notetaking)

Attendees: Fred Frandson, Natalia Macker, Michael Jones, Troy Thompson

Guests: WDH (Angie, Stephanie, Dirk, Dr. Harrist) and AG consumer protection division (Ben Burningham & Kit Wendtland)

Commissioner Frandson called the meeting to order. The minutes from the August 14, 2020 meeting were approved.

(Motion from Commissioner Macker, second from Commissioner Thompson)

Prevention Grant/Suicide Prevention

WDH provided update on the status of the grants for 2nd biennium of the prevention program, including tobacco quit line, veterans suicide prevention program, QPR training, gun safes/lock boxes avail for community events, ASIST trainings.

• Suicide prevention lifeline call center is now functioning (61% of calls originating in Wyoming are being answered in Wyoming). Eventually the new 3 digit number will be happening nationwide and diverting calls. 9-8-8

• Hosting monthly calls with Community Prevention Specialists so CPS can share info across the state on what is working. CPS annual training will occur in the fall.

• WDH will be using some block grant prevention funding to do some IT infrastructure to get more TIPS training out, market the suicide prevention lifeline and other activities.

Pandemic Response

WDH provided vaccination update. 28% statewide (whole population), 36% adult population are fully covered, 58% of people 65 or older are fully covered. Increasing access points. 199 providers across state are that are state approved to administer plus a number of retail pharmacies that get vaccine through the federal government. 354,000 total doses have been administered by Wyoming providers (doesn’t include administration through federal programs). Updated orders based on new CDC guidance.

Opioid Settlement

(Ben Burningham and Kit Wendtland from Wyo A/G’s office)

Settlement is in the works, very complex issue, much of which is still confidential and cannot be discussed yet.

Settlement will result in monies going into state, county, and ten largest municipalities.

Three defendants:

Opioid manufacturers

Opioid distributors

Opioid retailers

Plaintiffs number in the thousands: states, counties, cities, individuals, etc

Defendants want “Global Peace” in order to settle

Amount of money to states will be dictated by the number of counties and cities that joined the litigation.

Preliminary settlements in two parts:

1. $26B over 18 years, agreed to by J&J and three biggest distributors. States, counties, and cities will need to work together to determine how settlement will be divided. If can’t agree then a default allocation plan (determined by the settlement) will be used.

2. Purdue Pharma, which declared bankruptcy in 2019, filed a reorganization plan in March. Per that plan, the family behind Purdue will put in $4.5B to the settlement. The remainder of their assets will be transferred to a new company with an independent board of directors, which will start a trust that will flow to the plaintiffs. As in part

1, state, counties, and cities will have to determine distribution.

Wyoming A/G’s office proposes “One Wyoming Opioid Settlement Agreement” that will govern the use of the funds and the division of the funds. Proposed use would be for mitigation of opioid epidemic and NOT for general fund use.

Proposing a split: 50% between states, 50% divided between cities and counties. State funds would go to to the Dept of Health for opioid abatement. Local money would be distributed on a model predominantly based on details of the settlement but would center around the following:

1. Amount of opioids going into the county/city

2. Number of deaths related to opioids

3. Number of persons with opioid use disorder

Will have reporting requirements to ensure proper use of funds:

1. Amounts received

2. Amount spent on different programs

3. Amount distributed in grants

Cities, counties, and state need an agreement in place to move forward. We suggested they start with county/prosecuting attorney association and then approach the individual county attorneys.

It was noted that any agreement that we come up with might have to be amended to based on the details of the

settlement.

Rural EMS Service – Ambulance service is an essential service. Volunteer ambulances are having a difficult time keeping and finding volunteers. Finding ambulance contractor is a process. Laramie and Fremont have found a contractor or are in the process.

Interim Topics Discussion – Mental health and substance abuse was presented by WDH at beginning of meeting. Title 25 County Attorneys are in the process of overhauling Title 25.

Commissioner Frandson adjourned the committee.