EMS

Community Bridge Program (or "Bring Bridge to the Streets"): 

Partnership with EMS and USARA to Bring Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder to the Patients Who Need It Most

The West Valley City Fire Department and the Salt Lake City Fire Department are participating in a state-approved pilot program with the Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) called the Community Bridge Program. This program is adopting a new EMS protocol which allows the administration of buprenorphine in the field to adult patients (age 18 and over) who have been administered naloxone and are medically stable and awake with normal mentation. These patients are then offered enrollment directly into the U of U Huntsman Mental Health Institue Addiction Recovery Bridge Program (well-known to our Emergency Department colleagues). The new EMS/USARA outreach program launched in February of 2024. 

The program works as follows: A patient sustains an overdose and receives naloxone in the field by EMS or others (police, family, etc.). The patient is assessed by EMS and any supportive care measures performed. A stable, awake and oriented patient is then offered and administered buprenorphine in order to minimize their withdrawl symptoms from the naloxone. The patient is then offered transport to an area hospital for further care and medical evaluation. 

USARA is contacted to attend the patient at the scene or, if the patient agrees to be transported, in the ED. They respond 24/7/365. The USARA peer support counselor meets the patient and offers the patient enrollment into the Bridge program to begin addition recovery therapy. If the patient agrees to treatment, a 7-day prescription of buprenorphine will be provided by Drs. Peter Taillac and Scott Youngquist (respectively, the medical directors of WVC Fire Department and the SLC Fire Department). The patient is then proactively contacted by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute Addiction Recovery Bridge Clinic in the next 24-48 hours for continued care with the intention of stabilizing their medications and personal circumstances and finally to transition them into long-term OUD treatment in the community. The medications and initial HMHI Bridge Clinic care are free to the patient. This program is supported by grant funding from both the Salt Lake County Mayor's Office and the Utah Department of Substance Use and Mental Health, as well as the WVC and SLC Fire Departments. 

Although this program is new, we have already entered patients into the treatment program and anticipate growing numbers as we progress. We are indeed excited to "Bring Bridge to the Streets" in order to offer treatment to as many OUD patients as possible.