Josh Luftig

Josh Luftig, PA-C, is co-founder of The Bridge Center (formerly CA Bridge) and Director of Clinical Innovation at the Public Health Institute, and President-Elect of the Society of Addiction Medicine PAs (SAMPA). With over 25 years in emergency medicine, he is a nationally recognized expert in substance use disorder treatment who has pioneered scalable approaches to medication for addiction treatment and naloxone distribution in acute care settings. A sought-after speaker at national conferences, Josh translates evidence-based practices into real-world implementation. His clinical innovations include co-establishing one of the nation’s largest ED-based MAT programs at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA, and co-developing a high-dose rapid buprenorphine induction protocol published in JAMA Network Open (2021), now widely adopted as an ED standard of care. Under Josh’s leadership, California’s statewide ED naloxone initiative expanded 200-fold—from one hospital in 2019 to 200 by 2023. As of August 2026, this program has distributed more than 1.15 million naloxone doses through EDs at no cost to recipients, making it the nation’s largest ED-based naloxone distribution project.

Boarded in Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, Forensic Psychiatry and Holistic & Integrative Medicine, Arwen Podesta MD works in Louisiana, with an office in New Orleans. She authored a book on addiction, HOOKED (available on Amazon, see her website, www.podestawellness.com). She was recently awarded the honor of distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatry Association as well as the American Society of Addiction Medicine and is the immediate past President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association. She consults to the Louisiana governor’s HOPE committee and is a member of the Attorney General’s Opioid Abatement Taskforce. She is a national speaker, she teaches, consults and is an advocate for integrative best practices for those with addiction and psychiatric needs.

Rebecca Kraus Barbee, PA-C, CAQ-Psych is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in psychiatry at Southlake Psychiatry in Davidson, North Carolina. With advanced certification in psychiatry (CAQ-Psych), she is deeply engaged in the clinical management of complex mood and anxiety disorders, with particular expertise in psychopharmacology, novel antidepressant therapies, and treatment-resistant depression.

Rebecca is an active national speaker and educator, frequently presenting on emerging therapies, anhedonia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder recognition, and innovative treatment strategies. She is passionate about translating clinical trial data into practical, evidence-based strategies that improve patient outcomes. In addition to her clinical practice, she has contributed to media discussions on mental health awareness and is committed to advancing education for fellow clinicians through conference presentations and collaborative academic initiatives.

She is an active member of the Association of PAs in Psychiatry, AAPA, and NCAPA, and is dedicated to elevating the role of Physician Assistants in psychiatric care through leadership, education, and advocacy.

Josh Luftig, PA-C, is co-founder of The Bridge Center (formerly CA Bridge) and Director of Clinical Innovation at the Public Health Institute, and President-Elect of the Society of Addiction Medicine PAs (SAMPA). With over 25 years in emergency medicine, he is a nationally recognized expert in substance use disorder treatment who has pioneered scalable approaches to medication for addiction treatment and naloxone distribution in acute care settings. A sought-after speaker at national conferences, Josh translates evidence-based practices into real-world implementation. His clinical innovations include co-establishing one of the nation’s largest ED-based MAT programs at Highland Hospital in Oakland, CA, and co-developing a high-dose rapid buprenorphine induction protocol published in JAMA Network Open (2021), now widely adopted as an ED standard of care. Under Josh’s leadership, California’s statewide ED naloxone initiative expanded 200-fold—from one hospital in 2019 to 200 by 2023. As of August 2026, this program has distributed more than 1.15 million naloxone doses through EDs at no cost to recipients, making it the nation’s largest ED-based naloxone distribution project.