Doctors host Bridge Clinic grand opening

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and Santa Barbara Cottage Health joined forces to host a grand opening celebration for the new Bridge Clinic.

The launch coincided with a lecture entitled “Not Just Opioids” at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Amphitheater.

Dr. Paul Erickson, MD, talked about the severity of the crisis that began when Purdue Pharma marketed Oxycontin as a safe opioid in the late 1990s. Doctors thought it could be used safely to treat cronic pain.

In the past 10 years about 300,000 people have died from opioid overdoses. He said another 300,000 will die in the next 5 years before the health care community can turn things around.

Erickson called the opioid epidemic the biggest public health problem.

The communities 8th clinic will help people with substance use disorders following emergency situations.

The Bridge Clinic is located across from the hospital. It will be staffed weekdays with health care providers who can provide support and short outpatient treatment.

Doctors hope patients, their families and the community will understand that substance use is part of the human condition in and effort to break stigma surrounding this disease.

For more information visit, https://sbclinics.org