MATTERS Leadership Recognized by NY ACEP

Lynch received the 2023 New York ACEP Advancing Emergency Care Award.

This award recognizes a New York ACEP member for a significant contribution in advancing emergency care in New York State. Contributions to be considered include: patient care (improved delivery modes, quality care improvement, cost containment); EMS (organization, service, public education, disaster plan); education (new or improved teaching methods, publication(s), education programs, evaluation mechanisms); research or major contribution to a New York ACEP priority objective.

Lynch began his career in emergency medicine by following in his grandfather’s footsteps as a volunteer firefighter. He continues his work in prehospital care by serving as medical director and flight physician for Mercy Flight along with several fire and police departments around Western New York.

Lynch is a national leader in addiction medicine. He serves on the Erie County Opioid Epidemic Task Force along with the New York State Buprenorphine work group and is a medication assisted treatment specialist for the Erie County and New York State Departments of Health.

Lynch is actively involved in research and is leading a project to provide widespread access to buprenorphine and expedited linkage to treatment centers in the emergency departments across New York State.

With the support of the New York State Department of Health, he has pioneered the development of a novel statewide electronic referral network known as New York MATTERS (Medication for Addiction Treatment and Electronic Referrals).

The MATTERS program facilitates linking people with opioid use disorder (OUD) with treatment in a timely manner after presenting in the emergency department. The MATTERS program now offers referrals from nearly 200 locations giving patients the option to choose from over 2,000 weekly appointment slots.

In a nomination letter for Lynch, it is noted that Lynch’s efforts increased the number of DEA-waivered ED clinicians in Buffalo area hospitals who could prescribe buprenorphine and, through the MATTERS system, help patients access timely follow-up care, prescriptions, and support.

The letter further noted that since its inception in 2017, Lynch has guided the MATTERS program in expansion throughout New York and included access in various venues, including in correctional facilities and inpatient units, via law enforcement and emergency medical services encounters, and through telehealth services, which are available on a new mobile application so people with OUD may access the program on their own.

“Dr. Lynch embodies the mission of advancing emergency care because of his work in the MATTERS program. He and his team have improved care of patients through improving access, ease, and induction of care in hospital and out-of-hospital settings, education, and scholarship,” the letter stated.

Clemency and Lynch received their award at the organization’s 2023 Scientific Assembly July 11-13 in Bolton Landing, New York, which included the NY ACEP annual meeting.