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.