Bridging emergency care and community health to create an integrated system that improves health and equity.
We showed what was possible
CA Bridge took a researched-based treatment for opioid use disorder and made it the standard of care in 278 California Emergency Departments (EDs). Although healthcare is slow to change, our partnership with the Department of Health Care Services achieved the nation’s largest expansion of ED-based treatment for opioid use disorder in just five years.
We saw we could do more
This phenomenal success opened doors for us to do more. We are helping hospitals in 40 other states develop ED-based MAT programs. And we are leveraging our expertise, relationships, and infrastructure to address other critical public health issues in the ED.
That’s why today we are excited to launch our bolder, broader initiative, Bridge.
A bridge to the mission of emergency medicine
Increasingly, budget cutbacks, overcrowding, lack of beds, and lack of specialty consults have made working in an ED feel impossible. Bridge aims to bring meaning and fulfillment back into emergency medicine. Our simple treatment protocols reduce the frustrating dependence on scarce specialty services. We empower ED clinicians to provide rapid, effective treatment at a time when patients are most in need. We champion the addition of patient navigators into the ED to support clinicians in maximizing their impact.
A bridge to improving health
Failure to provide healthcare to everyone in our country perpetuates poverty, discrimination, and health inequities. For millions of uninsured Americans who do not have access to healthcare, EDs play a critical role in providing medical care. Emergency care is the only part of the US healthcare system mandated to see everyone, 24/7. Using a Social Emergency Medicine approach, Bridge builds on this guarantee by bridging emergency care and community health to create an integrated system that improves health and reduces disparities.
Here is the work Bridge is leading to promote treatment, equity, and connection in our communities:
Addiction Treatment
- CA Bridge – Advancing 24/7 high-quality care for substance use disorder in all California hospitals
- EMS Bridge – Engaging Emergency Medical Services in fighting overdose deaths starting from the ambulance
- National Bridge Network – Leading an inclusive network of leaders in implementation and quality improvement of ED-based addiction treatment and harm reduction
Public Health Screening
- ED Syphilis/HIV/HCV Screening Program – Advancing routine opt-out testing for syphilis, HIV, and Hepatitis C in California EDs
Reproductive Health
- Access Bridge – Improving access to sexual and reproductive health services by integrating them into EDs in regions with abortion bans or provider shortages