Answers about AZ REACH: who is eligible, what transfers we coordinate, insurance, data use, funding and how to reach the team 24/7.

AZ REACH can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (602) 827-2093. To contact AZ REACH leadership, email azreach@blackboxhs.com.

AZ REACH makes the placement calls for eligible hospitals across Arizona, connects practitioners and follows up on placement progress, so your team can stay with the patient.

We take the placement and follow-up calls off your staff, using our technology and extensive database, so they can focus on patient care.

Yes. All calls are recorded for patient safety and quality assurance.

Arizona's Indian Health Service, tribally operated (PL 93-638) and critical access hospitals can voluntarily choose to use AZ REACH. Hospitals with 20 or fewer inpatient beds may qualify through AZ STEP. See current participation figures on Impact & Data.

AZ REACH coordinates transfers for all service lines that require acute medical care placement. Current services do not include behavioral health or post-acute transfers.

The patient's treating practitioner determines the level of care the patient needs and guides the AZ REACH team to the patient's preferred destination. If there is no preference, AZ REACH starts with the closest available facility that has the required specialty service.

AZ REACH asks the referring practitioner whether they have a preferred receiving organization; insurance may be one of their deciding factors. AZ REACH cannot verify insurance coverage before contacting a receiving facility.

No. The referring or receiving hospital arranges transport; AZ REACH does not coordinate transport.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Arizona Surge Line showed that small and rural hospitals struggled to place patients who needed a higher level of care. See Our History.

Using AZ REACH is voluntary, it is not administered by the state public health department, and patient eligibility is not limited to COVID-19. AZ REACH can function as the Arizona Surge Line when directed by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) during a widespread hospital surge or emergency response.

AZ REACH is administered by the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center (AZPDIC) at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, with Blackbox Healthcare Solutions supporting daily operations, data analytics and reporting.

AZ REACH is supported by braided funding from federal and state sources.

Hospital-specific referral data is shared only with the originating hospital. Aggregate or regional trends may be shared with the applicable hospitals. Aggregate or regional data may be shared with public health and other agencies as agreed upon. See our quarterly reports.