MN Bridge Interview Series: EMS & the Opioid Crisis

Incarceration and the Opioid Crisis: MOUD in Jails

This episode dives into how MOUD is delivered in correctional settings, why the period after release is so high-risk, and how EMS fits into continuity of care. Guests Elise Woodward and Dustin Naumann share lessons from jail programs and law enforcement perspectives.

From Rural to Regulatory with Dylan Ferguson and Jim Rieber

We talk with Dylan Ferguson, Director of the Minnesota Office of EMS, and Jim Rieber, former EMS Director in Perham in Northern Minnesota. Dylan shares his vision for EMS’s role in the opioid crisis, while Jim reflects on how his rural system changed its approach—bringing buprenorphine to the field and transforming how they respond to overdoses. Together, they explore how statewide leadership and local innovation can reshape care across Minnesota.

Peers, Trust & Tribal-Led Recovery with Jordan Hanson & Colin Cash

What does real recovery-oriented care look like—and what role can EMS play? In this episode, Jordan Hanson, founder of YourPath, and Colin Cash, founder of Sober Squad and Director of Tribal Development at Pathfinder Solutions, share how lived experience, tribal innovation, and community-rooted systems are transforming addiction care. They explore the vital role of peers, what EMS providers need to know about building trust with people who use drugs, and how grassroots leadership—especially in tribal communities—is driving the future of recovery. This is a must-listen for anyone reimagining what addiction care could be.

Recovery, Rural Care, and Showing Up with Dr. Cole Pueringer

Dr. Cole Pueringer is an addiction medicine and toxicology physician at Essentia Health in Duluth, MN. In this episode, he shares how his personal recovery journey informs his clinical work and leadership. We talk about the real barriers in rural communities, the gap between medical and recovery language, and what EMS and ED providers can do right now to make a difference. His message is clear: you don’t have to say the perfect thing—you just have to be genuine. Compassion and presence matter more than getting the words exactly right.

Paramedic Roots and Systems Change with Dre Cantwell-Frank of Bridge

Dre Cantwell-Frank shares how her own experience as a paramedic shaped her path into addiction care and systems transformation. Now a leader at Bridge, she reflects on what she’s learned from teaching paramedics across the country—especially how eager frontline EMS providers are to better understand and care for patients with opioid use disorder. While leadership can sometimes be hesitant to focus on the opioid crisis, Dre has found that medics welcome the conversation, recognizing it as one of the most common and critical parts of their job.