Last September, Riverside County launched a Medication Assisted Treatment program at the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside.

The IEOCC’s quarterly all-coalition meeting on December 10th was attended by more than 50 individual leaders in health care, public health, and public safety, from across the Inland Empire.

“Over 1100 patients in total have been served through the Inland Empire’s Hub and Spoke System so far and over 300 of those patients have continued services for 6 months or longer.”

You’re invited to attend a family friendly no-cost event celebrating the 30th Anniversary of National Recovery Month! Join us in celebrating recovery, breaking the stigma of addiction, and offering support to the recovery community.

Jack Amason, highlighted in July's newsletter, was interviewed in a special Spectrum News 1 feature about his substance abuse recovery and the valuable, life-changing treatment he recently received through Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s ED Bridge Program.

In August, twenty-two additional hospitals joined the California Bridge Program, extending its reach to 52 hospitals, serving 34 California counties.

Jack Amason has battled opiate drug use off and on for 35 years. He finally found the support he needed at the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center’s emergency department, when he was introduced to Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) through Arrowhead’s new ED Bridge Program.

One of the three Inland Empire ED Bridge programs, St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, was featured in the Victor Valley News, heavily quoting IEOCC steering committee member, Dr. Michael Sequeira.

The IEOCC learned more about the individuals leading harm reduction work in the Inland Empire at the IEOCC quarterly meeting on June 11th, when five representatives of the new local non-profit Inland Empire Harm Reduction presented their work and led a discussion.

“I am the point man in the emergency department for our ED Bridge program. ED Bridge is my first foray into Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT). I am one of those physicians who used to consider opioid addiction a test of will: ‘If you don’t like it, just quit.’

We are excited to launch this new regular feature with Riverside University Health System. RUHS Emergency Department and Addiction Medicine along with Behavioral Health are addressing opioid addiction in many ways: