With more than 1,300 opioid overdoses in 2023, Arizona continues to struggle with how to address the opioid use disorder (OUD) epidemic. With a successful track record in building solutions for some of the most complicated public health issues, healthcare programs and payments company Nomi Health today announced its acquisition of Phoenix-based clinic I Am Wellness. The acquisition expands patient access to critical OUD and substance use disorder (SUD) treatments while driving down care costs for local cities, counties and employers with Nomi’s whole-person and recovery-oriented program for treatment and recovery.

“Nomi Health is rebuilding U.S. healthcare to run at half the cost while ensuring patients who need care the most are not left behind,” Mark Newman, founder and CEO of Nomi Health, said. “Our COVID-19 care program reached more than 12 million people in America with needed care while driving down costs. We are now turning our attention to the even more far-reaching crisis of opioids and substance use disorders using the same care model. Our investment in I Am Wellness is part of this national effort.”

As part of Nomi Health, I Am Wellness joins Nomi’s growing in-person treatment and virtual OUD and SUD population health program designed to provide an end-to-end solution to increase access to life-saving care, eliminate social barriers and reduce costs. The I Am Wellness clinic provides in-house primary care, mental health services, peer support, social service referrals and medication-assisted treatment for people with OUD, focusing on underserved populations, including those on Medicaid, in prisons and jails, and in county hospitals. Together, Nomi Health and I Am Wellness will step in to coordinate and move patients seamlessly through the entire treatment process so they can focus on recovery, from coordinating mental health services and pharmacy solutions to securing stable housing and gainful employment.

“Arizona ranks in the top 20 states for drug overdose mortality. As a nation that has poured billions into opioid and drug treatment, we must do better,” Nomi Health President of Government Programs Sara Ratner said. “We have a roadmap that ensures reaching patients with the greatest need for access. What’s often missing from healthcare, and especially OUD treatment, are peer navigators with shared lived experiences to connect patients to critical resources and to ensure a whole-person treatment approach. We will support and expand the work I Am Wellness is doing in Phoenix and across greater Arizona through a patient-centric approach to bring quality care to communities.”

Nomi Health’s public health expertise will bolster I Am Wellness’ reach and impact by expanding its network of on-the-ground peer navigators while adding new virtual care programs and mobile units. I Am Wellness also is growing its footprint across the state into the Mesa and Glendale communities.

“We understand addiction through and through, and our whole-person approach to treatment reflects that,” I Am Wellness Chief Operating Officer Allyson Morgan said. “We look forward to reaching even more patients with effective treatment as part of Nomi Health.”