The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is launching a six-month pilot program in partnership with the Oregon Public Health Institute (OPHI) and the Public Health Institute Bridge Center (Bridge Center) to improve the accessibility and uptake of addiction care in emergency care settings in Multnomah and Marion counties.

The program will train emergency responders to assess patients and provide medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in the field, before transporting them to the hospital to bridge them to ongoing care. It will also equip emergency departments in these counties with the training, tools, and hands-on support to implement and improve 24/7 addiction services -- using an evidence-based model that has dramatically increased both access to and ongoing engagement in addiction care in other states.

This pilot builds on the work of the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission, the Oregon Health Leadership Council, and OHSU's Improving Addiction Care Team (IMPACT) program, as well as several local government, EMS, and hospital partnerships to establish and support emergency settings as critical points of entry into treatment for patients struggling with opioid use disorder.

"Millions of people with substance use disorders visit emergency departments every year, yet only a minority are connected to evidence-based addiction care. Even fewer are initiated on life-saving treatment in the field, even though this has been demonstrated as a novel overdose reduction strategy associated with a several-fold increase in ongoing care," said OHA Director Sejal Hathi, M.D., MBA. "We are grateful to partner with the Bridge Center and OPHI to institutionalize this model and increase access to low-barrier opioid use disorder care in Oregon."

OHA has dedicated $300,000 to the project. The Bridge Center and OPHI have dedicated $140,000 in additional leveraged resources, including resources from the Opioid Response Network (ORN) to support emergency departments.

In addition to providing medication-based treatment for opioid use in emergency rooms, the program will develop referral links to care for community-based medication assisted treatment.

"The Bridge Center is thrilled to partner with the Oregon Public Health Institute and OHA to make life-saving addiction medications more available to Oregonians struggling with substance use disorder," said Arianna Campbell, Senior Director of the Bridge Center. "When emergency medical services and emergency departments are equipped to provide immediate, low-barrier care, communities gain access to critical treatment and support that is otherwise unavailable to far too many people."

The project also aligns with the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission's recommendations for increasing access to treatment for opioid use disorder in their September 2024 Preliminary Report. These include:

Establishing a statewide program that supports care linkages across the substance use disorder treatment continuum, such as during key care transitions that occur when individuals leave emergency departments with ongoing substance use disorder needs.
Promoting engagement and availability of technical assistance to accelerate the adoption of evidenced based practices, such as access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), throughout the care continuum.

"No corner of Oregon is untouched by the opioid crisis. Research shows that when patients receive medication for opioid use disorder in an emergency setting, they are more likely to avoid overdose, stay in treatment, and reach long-term recovery," said Emily Henke, Executive Director of the Oregon Public Health Institute. "The Oregon Public Health Institute is proud to partner with the Bridge Center, OHA, and local communities to make this life-saving care more accessible--because every Oregonian deserves to recover."

Source: Oregon Health Authority