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Collaboration brings automated call handling to 60+ Spero Health locations, helping patients access care faster and reducing administrative burden
NASHVILLE,Tenn. – May 19, 2026– UnityAI, an agentic AI company building an autonomous workforce for healthcare operations, today announced a partnership with Spero Health, a national provider of addiction treatment and substance use disorder (SUD) services operating more than 60 locations across the UnitedStates. Through the partnership, Spero Health is deploying UnityAI’s PatientOps platform to automate inbound call handling and improve patient access across its network.
The collaboration comes at a time of growing urgency in SUD care. More than 48 million Americans live with substance use disorder, yet only a fraction receive timely treatment. Access barriers, including long wait times, staffing shortages, and missed patient connections, continue to limit care delivery at the moment it is needed most.
“When someone reaches out for help, timing matters. If they can’t get through or have to wait, there’s a real chance they won’t try again,” said Edmund Jackson, CEO andCo-founder of UnityAI. “What we’re focused on – and what Spero has been very intentional about – is making sure every patient gets a response right away and can move forward without unnecessary barriers. That means building systems that don’t miss the moment, where reaching out leads directly to getting connected to care. Over time, that’s how you expand access across a network like Spero’s and help more people actually get into treatment.”
UnityAI’s PatientOps platform is designed to manage the first point of contact between patients and providers, answering inbound calls, scheduling appointments, resolving patient needs, or routing them to the appropriate next step without delay. Built specifically for healthcare environments, the platform operates with deep contextual awareness of clinical workflows, enabling it to handle high-volume patient interactions while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and continuity of care.
For Spero Health, where patients often reach out during critical moments of readiness, reducing friction at intake is a key operational priority. By automating routine call handling and scheduling workflows, the organization expects to improve conversion from inquiry to appointment while freeing staff to focus on higher-value patient interactions.
At Spero Health, every connection matters, especially that first step into care,” saidChris DeGeorge, Division VP at Spero Health. “We’re always looking for ways to make it easier and faster for patients to get the support they need. UnityAI stood out because they understand healthcare operations and built a solution designed for environments like ours. This partnership allows us to streamline how patients connect with our teams, reduce wait times, and ensure every individual is guided to the right services quickly—while allowing our team to stay focused on delivering meaningful, patient-centered care.”
Healthcare providers broadly are facing mounting operational pressure. Administrative tasks account for an estimated 25% of U.S. healthcare spending, while workforce shortages and rising demand continue to strain front-line teams. In SUD care specifically, provider shortages remain acute, contributing to delays in access and gaps in care continuity.
UnityAI’s approach is built around embedding AI directly into operational workflows rather than layering it on top of existing systems. Its agentic platform enables organizations to automate and coordinate patient interactions in realtime, creating a more responsive operating model that adapts to fluctuations in demand.
The initial deployment with Spero Health focuses on inbound patient engagement, with plans to expand into outbound communication and longitudinal patient engagement as the partnership evolves. Over time, this infrastructure is expected to support more continuous connection with patients beyond the initial intake, helping improve retention and care outcomes.
AboutUnityAI
UnityAI creates autonomous operations for healthcare. Founded by senior healthcare leaders, engineers, and data scientists with real-world experience optimizing complex workflows at organizations including HCA Healthcare, UnityAI is building an agentic workforce platform designed specifically for high-risk, high-complexity care environments. Its AI agents automate and optimize patient interactions and operational coordination with deep EHR integration, clinical context awareness, and full traceability, delivering measurable improvements in access, efficiency, and patient experience. Supporting providers, UnityAI is headquartered in Nashville, TN and is backed by Third Prime, Whistler CapitalPartners, Max Ventures, Nashville Capital Network, and Company Ventures. Learn more at https://www.unityai.co.
About SperoHealth
Spero Health,Inc., is an integrated healthcare services organization specializing in affordable, local outpatient care for individuals struggling with substance use disorder. With a Mission to Save Lives, Instill Hope, and RestoreRelationships, Spero Health delivers a comprehensive model of care that includes physician services, counseling, recovery support, medication management, and patient education—all under one roof. To date, Spero Health has served more than 60,000 patients across its communities, representing the depth of care provided and the organization’s continued commitment to reaching those in need.
Headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., Spero Health operates more than 75 clinics acrossKentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, and Tennessee. The company is in-network with Medicaid and most commercial insurance plans.
