FRANKLIN, Tenn. / Apr 02, 2024 / Business Wire / Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHC) today announced a collaboration with Uber Health (NYSE:UBER). 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.

“Access to consistent and reliable transportation is a primary barrier to the successful treatment of addiction,” said Dr. Nasser Khan, Group President, Acadia Healthcare CTC. “Working with Uber Health allows Acadia to eliminate this barrier and, in turn, shorten the length of time patients need to wait to begin life-saving treatment. In addition, the collaboration removes financial barriers to transportation access which can be a major roadblock to success in treatment.”

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.

"Behavioral healthcare services are critical for many patients struggling with addiction; lack of transportation shouldn’t stand in the way of accessing this support,” said Caitlin Donovan, Global Head of Uber Health. “By joining forces with Uber Health, Acadia Healthcare can quickly and easily connect patients with transportation to get the care they need, when they need it—and ultimately help improve patient outcomes at scale.”

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.

About Acadia Healthcare

Acadia is a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services across the United States. As of December 31, 2023, Acadia operated a network of 253 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 11,200 beds in 38 states and Puerto Rico. With approximately 23,500 employees serving more than 75,000 patients daily, Acadia is the largest stand-alone behavioral healthcare company in the U.S. Acadia provides behavioral healthcare services to its patients in a variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, specialty treatment facilities, residential treatment centers and outpatient clinics.