Bridging the Gap in Addiction Medicine with Arianna Campbell

What happens when we identify opioid use disorder—but the patient still can’t access treatment?

In this episode of PA Mindset Matters, Mercedes Dodge and Jessica Spissinger sit down with Arianna Campbell, DMSc, MPH, PA-C, CAQ-EM, DFAAPA, a PA with more than 25 years of emergency medicine experience and nearly a decade working in addiction medicine and healthcare systems change.

Arianna shares how a simple question in the emergency department—What are we actually going to do when we identify opioid use disorder?—helped launch work that eventually grew into California Bridge and expanded addiction treatment access across hospitals and communities.

We discuss:

• Buprenorphine and evidence-based opioid use disorder treatment• Why opioid withdrawal should be treated as a time-sensitive condition• CA Bridge Connect and making treatment easier to find• Stigma, harm reduction, and changing healthcare culture• The role of PAs in addiction medicine• The developing Addiction Medicine CAQ pathway• Why systems change starts with following the patient’s actual journey• Clinician wellness, resilience, and staying grounded

Arianna reminds us that improving addiction care is not only about knowing the evidence—it is about creating systems where patients can actually access it.

“We need to make it easier for people to get care.”

Listen now on PA Mindset Matters.