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New Jersey Expansion – Buffalo Business First

By September 14, 2023May 21st, 2025No Comments

Thank you to Buffalo Business First for highlighting the MATTERS program and its exciting New Jersey expansion efforts.

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Buffalo Business First recently published an article highlighting the growth and impact of the MATTERS program. Founded in 2017 by Dr. Joshua Lynch at UBMD Emergency Medicine, the program aims to connect individuals with substance use disorder to timely, evidence-based treatment. Now operating across New York State, MATTERS is expanding into New Jersey as part of a broader effort to strengthen first-responder overdose interventions and care coordination.

The MATTERS platform connects emergency departments, EMS providers, and community clinics with over 1,000 participating pharmacies, offering same-day telemedicine consultations, referrals to treatment and harm reduction services, and transportation and medication vouchers. As Dr. Lynch, MATTERS founder and senior physician with UBMD, explained, “The window of opportunity is so short that when they’re ready for help, you have to be able to meet them where they are and seize the opportunity.”

Backed by an $8 million allocation in opioid settlement funds and additional support from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), the program will continue to scale services—offering expanded resources for individuals with opioid, alcohol, and stimulant use disorders, as well as co-occurring conditions like HIV, hepatitis, and mental health challenges.

MATTERS’ national expansion includes a $3.2 million, four-year federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support the New Jersey Department of Health in replicating the program model. “The goal is to have pieces of this program successfully replicated in other states,” said Dr. Lynch.

The grant will also support enhancements to the MATTERS telehealth platform, enabling more effective follow-up for patients who have not yet engaged in recovery. With a growing team based at the UB Gateway in Buffalo and new partnerships forming across the country, MATTERS continues to advance its mission of removing barriers to treatment and meeting patients where they are.

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