Med First Primary and Urgent Care has become a trusted neighborhood health care provider that addresses the needs of underserviced communities. With its teams of exceptional health care providers and equipped with the necessary equipment and resources, it is there for people who need it most with its unique healthcare model that combines primary and urgent care.
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Med First Primary and Urgent Care clinics currently serve communities in North and South Carolina. These rural markets have a real demand for first-class healthcare services that can alleviate some of the pressure on hospital emergency departments and urgent care centers.
Med First Primary and Urgent Care has grown from nine to twenty-three locations since being acquired by a venture capital company in 2016. Paul Feneck then took the reins as chief executive officer, and the company has had great success since through both acquisitions and growth.
“Our Mission is to focus our growth on markets that have had little, if any, access to a primary care provider. By providing access to essential healthcare within previously underserved markets, we not only improve the health of the population, but also decrease the overall cost of healthcare delivery by reducing the number of patient admissions to the hospital emergency room. Our hybrid model of combining both primary and urgent care under one roof makes it extremely easy for our patients,” explains Mr. Feneck.
“Today we have twenty-three clinics that are operational and another five to be opened by the end of 2018. We anticipate opening roughly 15 locations each year, with the goal of having 75 clinics within by the end of 2021,” Mr. Feneck further states.
According to Mr. Mark Rappe, Senior Vice President of Business Development, the company’s expansion plan also includes expanding into three to four other states including Virginia and South Carolina.
Med First clinics are staffed by physicians and other trained clinical staff and equipped with x-ray equipment and laboratories. Most sites also have pharmaceutical dispensing on site and are conveniently located in easily accessible, higher-traffic areas.
Mr. Rappe noted that approximately thirty-five percent of prescriptions that are written by health care providers go unfilled. By offering pharmacy services on site, Med First patients can have most of their medications filled immediately, at lower costs. This increases the percentage of patients who adhere to their prescribed medication and so improves patient health outcomes.
As proof of Med First Primary and Urgent Care’s dedication to delivering outstanding care, many of its sites are recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as patient-centered medical homes (PCMH). This is an achievement of which the company is very proud and something it expects each of its sites to achieve by 2018.
“The PCMH model builds a better relationship between patients and their care teams, and research has shown that patient-centered medical homes provide quality patient experience and patient satisfaction while reducing health care costs, so in short, the patient and the provider are engaged in their overall care,” said Mr. Rappe.
“We take the responsibility and the initiative to coordinate care services, whether its cardiology, behavioral health,” said Mr. Rappe. The goal is an enhanced patient experience and lower health care costs because the system decreases wastefulness by mitigating healthcare issues before they become acute or chronic.
There are many benefits to choosing PCMH, chiefly, that it allows making the best possible choices to achieve optimal healthcare and wellbeing. This model enables better patient-provider relationships and collaboration with medical experts in various specialties. It also helps track information as patients are processed through the medical system.
“We will get to know a patient and also be available to serve as their primary care provider. There are all too many times when someone presents with high blood pressure, and they have not been followed by a family practitioner for some time. We can take over and serve that need,” said Mr. Rappe. “We’re able to address both the primary and urgent care with a convenient care focus, so we consider ourselves primary care on demand.”
Services include physical examinations, diagnostic laboratory testing, minor office procedures, preoperative evaluations, women’s reproductive health services, sports and Department of Transportation physical examinations, occupational medicine, diabetic wellness, medical weight loss, behavioral health and much more.
At the heart of healthcare are the physicians and providers who have chosen to build their professional careers with Med First Primary and Urgent Care. Mr. Feneck also emphasizes the fact that the company has established a culture focused on high quality of care and patient satisfaction.
“Our providers have the support of management. We surround them with the best tools available, from x-ray and lab services to physician oversight to the hiring of medical assistants, front desk people and our techs. Ultimately, we want to create a trusting and caring environment for both our patients and employees,” said Mr. Feneck.
A critical goal for Med First Primary and Urgent Care as it grows will be continuing to function as a cohesive unit. “We’re looking to grow through the Novo expansion and acquisitions at a rate of anywhere between ten and fifteen a year,” noted Mr. Rappe. The company plans to eventually have eighty to one hundred clinics in five states over the next four years.
Securing excellent healthcare providers will be paramount to Med First Primary and Urgent Care’s success in the future, as it looks to expand. “You’re only as good as the providers that you have,” said Mr. Rappe, and Med First Primary and Urgent Care has made it a point to attract first-rate health care providers and medical staff who can uphold its high standard of patient care.
“All of our locations are managed by regional operations directors that ensure the needs of the staff and the patients are being met. We also have a patient satisfaction component to every visit, so we try to learn where we can improve the processes in our clinics in order to meet our patients’ demands,” explained Mr. Rappe.
Med First Primary and Urgent Care is rolling out virtual visits and telemedicine to heighten the efficient care delivery and further improve the patient experience. Mr. Rappe explained that care can be accessed “from the convenience of one’s home if they don’t feel like going into a doctor’s office for certain things. We can treat them with a virtual visit.”
Med First Primary and Urgent Care has taken an innovative approach, so its patients are provided with the standard of care they need and deserve. As health care costs are high, these solutions are improving healthcare access for communities that need it most.
“You can either be part of the problem or part of the solution, and we think our hybrid model is part of that solution,” Mr. Rappe stated. Med First Primary and Urgent Care has demonstrated that health care providers can do good work and still be profitable and grow.
