Little Rock, Arkansas
Empathy Health Technologies, the Bentonville-based digital health company behind the Sober Sidekick recovery platform, has taken an important step forward in improving support for individuals navigating substance use disorder recovery. Through a new partnership with the SHARE Health Information Exchange (HIE), Empathy Health now receives daily hospitalization reports for both emergency department (ED) and inpatient (IP) encounters. This integration is creating meaningful, real-world impact for patients, providers, and care teams across Arkansas.
Before connecting with SHARE HIE, Empathy Health had to depend on member self‑reports or delayed notifications from partners to learn about recent inpatient hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visits. Now, SHARE HIE sends a secure, standardized hospitalization report each morning, providing automatic updates on ED and inpatient hospitalizations. These timely alerts enable Empathy Health to respond quickly when significant health events occur.
“The daily hospitalization reports from SHARE HIE have become a vital extension of our mission at Empathy Health Tech. By receiving timely ED and inpatient data, our care teams can support our members at the exact moment they need connection the most. This partnership strengthens our ability to deliver proactive, value‑based recovery support and ensures no individual navigating substance use disorder ever feels alone on their journey.” — Chris Thompson, CEO, Empathy Health Technologies, Bentonville, Arkansas
This timely information is transforming the company’s ability to deliver value-based, proactive recovery support. Sober Sidekick uses a gamified, peer-driven community model and predictive analytics to serve more than 145,000 active monthly users nationwide. With SHARE HIE’s hospitalization data flowing in daily, the platform can immediately engage members who experience an ED visit or admission related to behavioral health, substance use, or other medical concerns.
Care teams are now able to:
Detect relapse risks earlier and intervene faster.
Offer peer-powered support precisely when members need it most.
Coordinate outreach with partnered health plans
Reduce unnecessary readmissions to addiction treatment facilities by delivering timely, personalized engagement.
The result is a powerful example of how statewide health information exchange and digital health innovation can work together to improve outcomes. Empathy Health’s value-based care model is strengthened by timely, actionable data, while Arkansas residents benefit from enhanced continuity of care during critical moments in their recovery journey.
“SHARE’s insights combined with Sober Sidekick’s community-driven support show what’s possible when timely data and human connection come together. This collaboration demonstrates how digital health innovation can strengthen pathways statewide ensuring individuals facing are never alone, and never without timely help,” — Zach Zobel, President, Healthcare Solutions, Empathy Health Technologies
With SHARE’s reliable daily hospitalization reporting and Sober Sidekick’s community-driven support, individuals battling substance use disorder are never alone — and now, they are never without timely help.
About Empathy Health Technologies:
Empathy Health Technologies is a Bentonville, Arkansas-based digital health company that develops Sober Sidekick, a mobile application providing peer-powered support and predictive analytics for substance use disorder recovery. The digital health platform provides peer support and predictive analytics for substance use disorder recovery, preventing relapse. Founded by Chief Executive Officer Chris Thompson, the platform utilizes gamified community engagement to detect relapse risks and prevent returns to addiction treatment facilities. Sober Sidekick, already the world’s largest peer-powered SUD recovery platform, has grown to approximately 1.1 million downloads and boasts over 145,000 monthly active users. Its core innovation lies in its ability to fuse this massive, engaged community with predictive AI. Sober Sidekick by Empathy Health Tech You’re Never Alone.
Learn More: https://sobersidekick.com/