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After a fentanyl tragedy, a grieving family urges hospital test reforms

The Siems family, at home, in happier times: (L-R) Billy, Caryl, Laney, Josh, and Bob. (photo courtesy Caryl Siems)
The Siems family, at home, in happier times: (L-R) Billy, Caryl, Laney, Josh, and Bob. (photo courtesy Caryl Siems)

And now, a conversation about the crisis of opioid addiction.

Last fall, Josh Siems suffered a fatal, fentanyl-linked overdose on his 31st birthday. Josh’s loved ones have thrown their support behind a bill in Annapolis that would require hospitals to play a new role in addressing our state’s opioid epidemic, by testing all opioid OD admissions for the presence of fentanyl, an often-lethal additive found in street-sold opiates.

Melanie Yates with her friend and partner, Josh Siems. (photo courtesy Melanie Yates)
Melanie Yates with her friend and partner, Josh Siems. (photo courtesy Melanie Yates)

Josh’s mother, Caryl Siems and Melanie Yates, Josh’s partner, join Tom in Studio A…

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