POPULATION HEALTH MANAGEMENT · PRIMARY CARE
Photo credit: ChenMed ChenMed recently opened a Dedicated Senior Medical Center, the first of two serving aging Charlotte, N.C., residents. Q&A With ChenMed CMO Gordon Chen
Chen describes how his company’s full-risk model in Medicare Advantage allows it to invest more in high-touch primary care in underserved areas By David Raths
O
f all the new entrants described as “disrupting” primary care, one that has made some significant inroads
is Miami-based ChenMed, which has grown to more than 100 clinics in 15 states. The privately owned company’s centers are located in u nder s er ve d neighborhoods, where lack of access to high- quality primary care and other social determi- nants have nega- tively impacted longevity. In a recent interview
Gordon Chen, M.D.
with Healthcare Innovation, Gordon Chen, M.D., the company’s chief medical officer, spoke about how the company is trying to “flip healthcare on its head.” ChenMed was founded after a seri- ous medical issue in the family. In 2003,
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Can you describe ChenMed’s business model? I’ve seen it described as concierge medicine, which I think is typically linked in people’s minds with patients who are well off financially and who
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hcinnovationgroup.com | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
Jen-Ling James Chen, M.D., Chen Medical founder, was diagnosed with cancer and given two months to live. As the com- pany’s website states, he and his family experienced firsthand the frustrations of navigating the healthcare system where profits, not patients, are the focus. After his recovery, Dr. Chen was determined to revolutionize the healthcare deliv- ery system. He created ChenMed to provide accountable, compassionate, and coordinated physician-led, family- oriented primary care. Gordon Chen is the company’s chief medical officer and his brother, Christopher Chen, M.D., is the CEO.
pay more for high-touch care. But ChenMed works with underserved populations. How does the payment model work? Is it through Medicare Advantage plans or value-based care contracts with insurers? We are a full-risk model in Medicare Advantage. What that means is that all of the aspects of patient care or what con- tributes to medical costs, we pay for. We’re taking a completely fresh look at medicine if we’re paying for all of it. The stuff that helps our patients to live longer and live better, we’re going to invest in, so more primary care, more access to their doctor. If they need transportation or medications on site, or if they need to text their doctor and have their doctor’s cell phone number and that helps them to live longer and better and avoid hospitalizations, we’re going to do that. Many seniors have only 10 minutes of access with a doctor, maybe once or twice
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