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Lee Livermore, public education coordinator for the Upstate New York Poison Center (photo by Jim Howe)
Lee Livermore, public education coordinator for the Upstate New York Poison Center (photo by Jim Howe)

How the Upstate New York Poison Center fields more than 50,000 calls per year

The calls come from hospitals, 911 operators, schools and the general public. Some are emergencies, and some are less urgent questions. Lee Livermore, public education coordinator for the Upstate New York Poison Center, describes how more than 50,000 calls are handled every year. The calls ask what to do when someone has ingested anything from a household cleaner to an illegal drug. The center, based on the Upstate Medical University campus in Syracuse, has a service area of 54 counties, pretty much all of New York state outside of New York City. To reach the center, call 800-222-1222; the line is staffed 24 hours a day, every day.
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