Acadia Healthcare Company Inc. announced a collaboration with Uber Health. The two companies are coming together to improve access to life-saving behavioral health care and addiction treatment by providing patients access to transportation, so they can begin treatment quickly and efficiently. The initial focus is on Acadia's national network of Comprehensive Treatment Centers (CTCs).

CTCs provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies for those who are struggling with opioid addiction. Launching with 19 facilities across several states, Acadia and Uber Health plan to roll out the program to more facilities to serve additional populations in the future. Successful program completion requires patients to stay on track and attend each and every appointment.

However, many patients dealing with addiction may lack the resources to arrange and pay for transportation to and from appointments. Through this arrangement, patients who have been approved and are waiting on government-funded transportation, or those in an immediate crisis, can receive a ride from Uber Health to a CTC. Access to Uber Health can decrease the length of time patients wait to begin treatment.

It also can mitigate disruption to care for existing patients who are otherwise unable to attend treatment due to transportation barriers. At many of its CTC facilities, Acadia has used Uber Health for the past few years to provide transportation for patients. By collaborating at a national level, the companies can easily provide consistent access to vital transportation services at scale, which can lead to improved patient outcomes.

The Uber Health platform allows Acadia to deliver care early in the patient's recovery cycle.