June 11, 2025

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) plans to use a Google artificial intelligence (AI) Virtual Assistant to help people locate local provider organizations that offer medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) and other services. According to a recently released case study by Google, as of April 2025, the current web-based Opioid Service Provider Locator tool has recorded over 100,000 unique page views from more than 20,000 users from 120 Arizona communities. Of the page views, 55% were “engaged” during their interactions with the platform. This engagement metric is further supported by referrals from over 37 health care agencies and over 80 websites. Over one-third of visits were initiated by a mobile device.

AHCCCS launched the web-based Opioid Service Provider Locator in late 2021. It provides listings to organizations within a user-specified driving distance from a ZIP Code. Users can search for services for a specific population, a particular health plan, participating provider organization names, and the type of service (naloxone distributor, office-based opioid treatment, opioid treatment program, or residential treatment). Within the locator tool’s current functionality, users can filter the results to show only those listings for organizations accepting new admissions. Each listing includes a view of a map, the organization’s name and contact information, a link to the health plans the provider organization accepts, the counties served, the type of MAT available (methadone and/or buprenorphine), and any additional OUD services provided.

To add the AI virtual assistant component to the locator tool, AHCCCS is working with Google Cloud and Syntasa. The goal is that the virtual assistant will help facilitate searches for treatment options using a mobile device. The virtual assistant would not endorse any particular provider organization or course of treatment. Via the AI virtual assistant, the locator tool would provide personalized answers to queries, drawing from a comprehensive list of over 100 participating provider treatment locations throughout Arizona. Leveraging the Google Maps API, the tool would pinpoint nearby treatment options, including office-based opioid treatment, opioid treatment programs, and residential treatment facilities.

A listing in the AHCCCS Opioid Service Provider Locator is limited to programs in good standing with AHCCCS. In December 2023, AHCCCS released the Arizona Opioid Services Locator Training–Provider Users, for provider organizations on how to update their listings.

A link to the full text of the case study, The State Of Arizona Is Advancing Access To Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder With Google, is in the OPEN MINDS Circle Library at https://openminds.com/market-intelligence/resources/050125ahcccscasestudy/.