Windsor, Southwestern, and Midwest City locations are part of national rollout
Senior adults in Oklahoma City will soon have access to three innovative primary care health centers focused on meeting the needs of the medically underserved.
ArchWell Health is a new healthcare company providing an advanced model of holistic primary healthcare services to Medicare-eligible seniors with the Oklahoma City-area locations among the first in a planned national rollout.
The initial Oklahoma City area center to open is located at 4629 NW 23rd (Windsor) in Oklahoma City. A grand opening will be held Wednesday, October 20. The next day, Thursday, October 21, a grand opening will be held at the ArchWell Health center located at 7313 S. Western Ave. in Oklahoma City.
The third center is scheduled to open at 6951 Southeast 15th Street in Midwest City in November.
The Oklahoma City area centers are among the first in the United States to be opened by ArchWell Health. The company will be opening centers in several states this fall.
The centers establish state-of-the-art neighborhood healthcare centers featuring an advanced, senior-focused care model.
The company’s goal is to provide seniors access to excellent healthcare and healthy living options, irrespective of their economic situation. ArchWell Health centers will focus on providing comprehensive primary care for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, with the goal of enabling members to live healthier lives by offering them a higher level of care and a more positive experience.
Dr. Michael Lipp, Chief Medical Officer, said ArchWell Health’s centers in the Oklahoma City area will provide a more comprehensive level of care than the traditional primary care model, including transportation to and from the center, 24-hour service, access to same-day appointments, specialty and ancillary services, social workers, nutritionists, and more.
Each center’s doctors will have significantly fewer patients than the current national average, ensuring they have more time with each patient to solve their individual health challenges. The doctors and their care teams are specifically trained to care for seniors, who have more challenging health conditions than the general population, and a higher rate of chronic conditions. Patients at ArchWell Health will receive care that is well coordinated, as compared to the fragmented care that many seniors experience today.
“Seniors often have complex medical and social needs, and our approach to care addresses each patient individually and holistically,” Dr. Lipp said. “The centers will be a safe place for seniors to connect socially and participate in activities such as exercise classes. We know how important social connection and staying active can be to leading a healthy life. We conducted extensive research in markets nationally, and we found a real need for these holistic services in the Oklahoma City area.”
ArchWell Health’s plan has been developed by a highly skilled management team with deep and broad healthcare experience in both provider and payor services.
Carl Whitmer, Co-Founder and CEO said seniors experience better outcomes through greater continuity of care and a more thorough assessment of acute, chronic, and social determinant health needs.
“The healthcare needs of the senior population are often multi-faceted, so our goal is to establish long-term relationships to monitor and respond to physical and emotional needs for achieving the best quality of life,” Whitmer said. “ArchWell Health’s primary care doctors caring for our patients will be supported by social, nutritional, and behavioral health services in each center.”
ArchWell Health will add hundreds of employees by year end 2021, increasing to more than 1,400 by end of 2023 as additional centers open.
Whitmer noted that with the growing senior population Medicare expenditures continue to strain federal spending, and there is a growing need for focused and cost-effective care of aging Americans.
“There are approximately 70 million Medicare beneficiaries today, and about 10,000 Baby Boomers join the ranks of Medicare eligibility every day,” Whitmer said. “Medicare beneficiaries account for approximately 20 percent of national healthcare spending today, and this percentage is expected to increase.”
He said the Company’s strategy of locating in underserved communities will help to deliver care where it is needed most. ArchWell Health intends to engage seniors in the communities where they live. Outreach teams will be active at community events and work with community groups, senior organizations, religious organizations like churches, and other organizations to reach seniors in need. In addition, ArchWell Health advisory boards will work together will local community members, including church leaders, aldermen, business leaders and community groups to identify the challenges common to seniors in a local area. Dr. Lipp closed with, “We are thrilled to be bringing together a team of excellent, caring primary care providers to begin serving our patients in our communities.”
To find out more visit archwellhealth.com.
