Founded by Joshua Lynch, senior physician with UBMD Emergency Medicine, Medication for Addiction Treatment and Electronic Referrals (MATTERS) works to link people with opioid and substance use disorders to treatment and resources within their own community. Its rapid referral platform efficiently connects individuals from any setting – including hospitals, first responders, telemedicine agencies, and community-based organizations – to an outpatient treatment center of their choice. Patients are also provided with various wrap-around services, including a medication voucher, transportation voucher, peer referral, and follow-up support to address common barriers to care.
The program began as Buffalo MATTERS in 2016, as UBMD physicians were trying to find a better way to treat patients who came to local emergency departments in withdrawal. Since then, the program has expanded across New York State and partners with over 1,500 referral sites, receiving treatment organizations, pharmacies, and peer agencies. The program recently expanded its services into Pennsylvania and plans to do the same in New Jersey in late 2025.
