The maintenance period of the program brings an ongoing support system and 24/7 access to addiction-medicine consultation for difficult cases. The funding, training, comprehensive team approach, and the ongoing support makes NM Bridge effective in the rural space. Other largely rural states may wish to follow New Mexico’s lead, using (or applying for) SOR funding to expand rural SUD workforce through hospital- and ED-based treatments. The SOR grants address the opioid overdose crisis by increasing access to MOUD and support the continuum of care for OUD services.10
Achievements
In the first two years of its funding, the NM Bridge successfully partnered with five hospitals and was written into the state’s 2022-2024 SOR initiative funding to continue their work. These five hospitals include three critical access hospitals, one Indian Health Service hospital, and one acute-care suburban hospital with a large rural catchment area. Several are highly rural–over 100 miles from the nearest tertiary care facility–and serve communities ranging from 20,000 to 70,000 persons. As NM Bridge enters its third year, three more hospitals–two rural referral hospitals and one Indian Health Service facility–have been confirmed.
Pitfalls
Hospitals which initially engaged with NM Bridge but declined to fully pursue the program included one with an already robust MOUD program and two who felt they did not have front-line clinician support. One declined to engage, reporting disagreement that MOUD from the ED is standard of care.
Dr. Greenwood-Ericksen (@MGreenwoodMD) is assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of New Mexico with a secondary appointment in psychiatry and behavioral sciences department.
Dr. Warrick is a board-certified emergency medicine physician in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Dr. Ketcham is board certified in both emergency medicine (ABEM) and addiction medicine (ABPM). He serves the New Mexico Bridge Project as the director of clinical implementation, and as an on-call addiction expert for the New Mexico Poison Control Center Opioid Use Disorder Helpline.
Sallyanne Wait is a board-certified nurse practitioner.
Cindy Ketcham has been a registered nurse, practicing in New York, California, and New Mexico since 1989. She is also the director of nursing education for the New Mexico Bridge.
Julie Salvador is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, division of community behavioral health. she serves as the division’s associate director, director of implementation science research, and director of team science.
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