Get to Know Rayce Samuelson

Bloomberg Fellow Rayce Samuelson currently serves as an overdose prevention specialist at OnPoint NYC's East Harlem Overdose Prevention Center, the first sanctioned overdose prevention center in the U.S. Since its launch in 2021, OnPoint NYC has provided harm reduction measures and saved lives by providing people who use drugs with the resources, tools, and comprehensive support they need to improve their quality of life and live with dignity. 

After losing several close friends to fentanyl overdoses, Samuelson began volunteering at a syringe services program, where he provided sterile needles and support to people who use drugs. This experience made him realize that many lives could be saved if people had access to a judgment-free environment where they could safely use drugs, learn about harm reduction strategies, and gain access to effective treatment. 

Samuelson describes the opening of OnPoint NYC as one of his proudest moments in public health, describing that the first week as intense with protestors, media attacks, and potential legal repercussions. However, because of their services, OnPoint NYC was able to reverse more than a dozen overdoses in its first week.   

“I was proud that we pushed through the adversity to open the first of these sites in the U.S.,” says Samuelson. “We set a precedent just by opening. Our work could be built upon in other places in this country.”

After hearing about the fellowship from his boss Sam Rivera, who spoke at the 2023 Bloomberg American Health Summit, and recognizing the impact of policy on public health, Samuelson decided to pursue a Master of Public Health degree through the Bloomberg American Health Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “The Bloomberg Fellowship was a major factor in my decision to go back to school. I had considered different programs but wasn't sure I was ready to leave OnPoint NYC and the lifesaving work we were doing. The Fellowship provided a unique opportunity to continue my education and apply what I was learning directly to my work at OnPoint.”

Through the Fellowship program, which he started in June 2024, Samuelson has already gained a deeper understanding of the interconnected nature of public health issues and the importance of interdisciplinary thinking in developing solutions. After completing his degree, he will bring his new knowledge back to OnPoint NYC and make even more of a difference amid a national crisis.