CDC Program Collaborative

We are excited to announce our latest national collaborative project with other university health systems in the country to improve care around substance use. Stay tuned for more details below!

The University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy (CAMP), in partnership with Jefferson Health, has received federal funding to expand and evaluate innovative approaches for initiating medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in emergency departments. The project will compare and refine two evidence-based models—Penn’s ED MOUD + CareConnect telehealth program and Jefferson’s ED MOUD + Bridge in-person care pathway—to increase same-day access to buprenorphine and methadone for patients following overdose or opioid withdrawal.

The research will produce a practical, evidence-informed toolkit to help emergency clinicians identify, treat, and link patients to ongoing addiction care, particularly in underserved communities most affected by overdose in Philadelphia. By embedding peer navigators, streamlining triage screening, and leveraging telehealth and community partnerships, the initiative aims to strengthen hospital-community linkages, reduce treatment disparities, and improve long-term engagement in recovery across diverse health systems.