ED-Bridge: Emergency Buprenorphine Treatment in Emergency Departments

Site PI: Andrew Herring, MD

Funder: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)

Dr. Herring was awarded a grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grant to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to create the ED-BRIDGE program.

The purpose of the grant was to address the opioid crisis by improving access to treatment, reducing unmet treatment need, and reducing opioid overdose related deaths through the provision of prevention, treatment, and recovery activities for OUD. The California MAT Expansion Project was implementing the California Hub and Spoke System (CA H&SS).  Each CA H&SS consisted of a “Hub” and multiple “Spokes”.  An existing Narcotic Treatment Program (NTP) or Medication Unit served as the Hub while federally approved Data 2000 waivered prescribers who prescribe or dispense buprenorphine in office-based settings served as the Spokes. This grant implemented the integration of EDs as active partners in the expansion of MAT in California.

ED-BRIDGE supported emergency departments throughout California to develop and implement plans for 24/7 access to buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder.

The ED-Bridge evolved into CA-Bridge which can be contacted at: https://cabridge.org//

Read more about Dr. Herring's work here: http://www.oaklandmagazine.com/October-2017/Facing-the-Opioid-Emergency/