By Angela Gonzales

Nashville-based axialHealthcare is eyeing Tempe to open an office and hire 100 employees.

CEO John Donahue has been in town this week meeting with Arizona State University and University of Arizona representatives to begin the hiring process, and also has been checking out space in the office development complex near Tempe Town Lake.

On March 22, Donahue served on a panel discussion for the Arizona Tech Innovation Summit, hosted by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, and met with Gov. Doug Ducey to talk about how his company can help improve Arizona’s opioid epidemic.

He hopes to be in 6,000 square feet of space by May and initially hire 15 to 20 people, including pharmacists, doctors and engineers. His goal is to expand to 30,000 square feet and have 100 employees within the next 18 months.

He said he’s interested in the vibe offered by the office complex surrounding Tempe Town Lake, and hopes to secure space near a fitness center for his employees.

The company helps providers and insurers reduce opioid misuse by collecting data from insurance companies and government agencies to determine which opioid treatment centers and physicians aren’t having much success in helping patients beat their addictions.

“There are 330 opioid use disorder treatment facilities in Arizona, but the range of variation in the quality of their care is dramatic,” Donahue said. “I’ve never seen a more abberent and dramatic swing and variation between high quality clinics and the lower quality clinics. Health insurers don’t know who is delivering the highest and lowest quality. We illuminate that.”

AxialHealthcare will partner with clinics to improve care for patients.

“We help existing facilities perform at a higher level of care,” he said.

Via the Phoenix Business Journal