By executive order last Friday, Maryland’s Opioid Operational Command Center was consolidated into the Maryland Department of Health.

Governor Moore has moved the Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) into the Maryland Department of Health with an executive order. According to a Maryland Matters article, this was done in an effort to broaden the government’s approach to tackling the overdose crisis. It is the intent that these changes will enhance the division’s ability to evolve with the ever-changing nature of the opioid crisis and overdoses in general. In addition to renaming the agency from Opioid Operational Command Center to the Office for Overdose Response, Moore’s executive order expands the size of the advisory council from seven to eighteen members.

The OOCC was initially established by executive order during former Governor Hogan’s administration in 2017. The goal was to facilitate better cross-departmental communication and information sharing to combat opioid overdoses across the state. Since then, the OOCC has played a vital role in shaping legislation and strategy to combat the opioid crisis. The division is in regular contact and collaboration with local governments including schools, law enforcement, health departments, detention centers, and more. Additionally, the department receives and distributes funds from the national opioid settlement to the counties.

Read more Conduit Street coverage on the opioid crisis in Maryland.