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MATTERS on Daytime Buffalo

By July 25, 2025No Comments

Thank you to Chelsea Lovell from the WIVB News 4 Team for inviting our Operations Manager, Mila Pakhomova, BSN, to speak on Daytime Buffalo!

MATTERS is launching a new and enhanced referral platform! Since its inception in 2016, Medication for Addiction Treatment and Electronic Referrals (MATTERS) has been working to connect people with opioid use disorder to high-quality, community-based treatment providers.

Operations Manager, Mila Pakhomova, BSN, spoke with Daytime Buffalo about the origins and expansion of the MATTERS program: “Originally, individuals with opioid use disorder were given a list of treatment organizations and asked to call them, and the problem with that is that treatment wouldn’t be available until 6 or 8 weeks out. We created a rapid referral process that allows them to get connected in as little as 24 hours…”.

With roots in Buffalo, New York, the program has quickly expanded across New York State and into Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. As the program continues to grow geographically, its services have also expanded. Mila continues, “We’ve also added additional wraparound services, recognizing that there are barriers to treatment: Medication voucher for up to 14 days, transportation voucher, support services, peer support — basically, anything that we see that might be an issue when linking to treatment.”

MATTERS is proud to work with community-based organizations across New York and Pennsylvania to improve access to treatment and resources for opioid use disorder. If you’re an individual in need of support, click on the “GET HELP” button at the top of this page. If you’re an organization, consider joining the MATTERS rapid referral platform!

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