Reforming primary care is “harder than rocket science”, according to Dr. Myers, the CMO of Oak Street Health, a primary care clinic provider. Oak Street Health takes a novel approach to primary care, focusing on Medicare and community-based care. Its doctors only oversee 500 patients each, giving each individual more time per appointment and focusing on the provision of value. Each clinic offers a community space with regular patient events and providing remote monitoring services. The centers also provide transport and counselors for insurance coverage queries. The ability to provide value-based care may be difficult to implement initially due to a lack of impetus to change the status quo, but the company’s model is working. The company funds itself by using a Medicare Advantage contracts, moving away from fee-for-service and actively investing in value. The approach has decreased the hospitalization rate for managed care patients by over 40%.
Reforming primary care is “harder than rocket science”, according to Dr. Griffin Myers, the CMO of Oak Street Health, a primary care clinic provider. Oak Street Health takes a novel approach to primary care, focusing on Medicare and community-based care. Its doctors only oversee 500 patients each, giving each individual more time per appointment and focusing on the provision of value. Each clinic offers a community space with regular patient events and providing remote monitoring services. The centers also provide transport and counselors for insurance coverage queries. The ability to provide value-based care may be difficult to implement initially due to a lack of impetus to change the status quo, but the company’s model is working. The company funds itself by using a Medicare Advantage contracts, moving away from fee-for-service and actively investing in value. The approach has decreased the hospitalization rate for managed care patients by over 40%.