OakWell Launches to Provide High-Quality Primary Care Directly to Kidney Patients in Dialysis Centers
22 March 2023 - 11:30PM
Business Wire
Value-Based Care Leaders Oak Street Health and
Interwell Health Partner on Joint Venture
Oak Street Health (NYSE: OSH), a network of value-based primary
care centers for adults on Medicare and the only primary care
provider to carry the AARP name, and Interwell Health, a kidney
care management company that partners with physicians on its
mission to reimagine healthcare, today announced the launch of
OakWell, a joint venture that will offer the highest-quality
primary care to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients directly
in the dialysis center. This unique approach to primary care for
ESKD patients aims to reduce hospitalizations, increase kidney
transplantations, and improve outcomes to lower the total cost of
care.
When a patient receives in-center dialysis treatment, they spend
around 12 hours each week in a dialysis center, often making it
difficult to attend primary care and other healthcare appointments.
This is a significant challenge, as dialysis patients often have
other complex chronic conditions and would benefit from
high-quality, preventive primary care. OakWell enables patients to
receive coordinated care from a primary care team and
nephrologist.
“There is a significant opportunity to leverage the time spent
by dialysis patients in-center to improve their overall quality of
life,” said Dr. David Buchanan, Chief Clinical Officer at Oak
Street Health. “Receiving personalized, preventive primary care
from expert care teams can positively impact patient health. We are
thrilled to launch this innovative joint venture to remove barriers
to comprehensive care for people living with kidney failure.”
OakWell will bring the type of coordinated primary care that
dialysis patients need directly to them, offering appropriate
interventions in the center while still working in close
partnership with nephrologists. This will remove the significant
barrier of attending additional, separate medical appointments and
helping address important issues of health equity. These
provider-led teams will coordinate with the dialysis care teams,
and other specialists, ensuring the most comprehensive and
coordinated concierge-level care.
“People living with kidney disease have incredibly complex
needs,” said Robert Sepucha, CEO of Interwell Health. “We are
uniquely positioned to support these patients and are making great
strides through our physician partnerships and connectivity to
dialysis centers. We know that value-based care only really works
when we transform the whole system, which is why we're so excited
to partner with Oak Street Health. Through this collaboration with
a leader in primary care, we can truly help dialysis patients live
their best lives.”
The OakWell care teams will closely manage patients' chronic
conditions, help them avoid missed dialysis treatments, quickly
reschedule any missed dialysis treatments, and coordinate care
outside of the center. When patients have urgent needs and aren't
currently in a dialysis center, providers will conduct video visits
and provide other support to make sure patients stay healthy and
out of the hospital. Additional services such as behavioral health
and renal pharmacy support will provide complete, wraparound care.
OakWell care teams will also support coordination of kidney
transplants when possible.
OakWell will initially begin offering care services in Chicago,
Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth dialysis centers in Q3 of 2023.
OakWell is hiring qualified primary care physicians, nurse
practitioners, medical assistants and community health workers. To
apply, visit this link.
About Oak Street Health
Founded in 2012, Oak Street Health is a network of value-based
primary care centers for adults on Medicare. With a mission of
rebuilding healthcare as it should be, the Company operates an
innovative healthcare model focused on quality of care over volume
of services, and assumes the full financial risk of its patients.
Oak Street Health currently operates more than 170 centers across
21 states and is the only primary care provider to carry the AARP
name. The Company is a winner of Energage's 2022 Top Workplaces USA
award, was recognized by Inc. on its inaugural Best-Led Companies
of 2021 list and was honored as a recipient of the 2022 and 2021
Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program by the American
Medical Association. To learn more about Oak Street Health’s proven
approach to care, visit oakstreethealth.com or read its Social
Impact Report.
About Interwell Health
Interwell Health is a kidney care management company that
partners with physicians on its mission to reimagine healthcare –
with the expertise, compassion, and vision to set the standard for
the industry and help patients live their best lives. The company
is differentiated by its ability to deliver improved clinical
outcomes and better quality of life for patients, reduce the total
cost of care for payer partners, and provide the resources
physicians need to thrive in a value-based world – all at scale. To
learn more, visit interwellhealth.com.
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Media Contact Erica Frank, Vice President of Public
Relations Oak Street Health Erica.Frank@oakstreethealth.com
Investors Contact Sarah Cluck, Head of Investor Relations
Oak Street Health Sarah.Cluck@oakstreethealth.com Media
Contact Brad Puffer, Vice President of Corporate Communications
Interwell Health media@interwellhealth.com
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