Former CMMI director rolls out new company focused on rural value-based care
At launch, the company is offering its Extra Access program to seniors in West Tennessee.
Photo by Tom Werner/Getty Images
A new value-based healthcare company launched this week with sights set on transforming care delivery in rural America.
Called Main Street Health, the company was founded by former Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Director and cofounder and CEO of Aspire Health Brad Smith. His healthcare firm Russell Street Ventures announced the company on Tuesday.
At launch, the company is offering its Extra Access program to seniors in West Tennessee. The program will work with local primary care providers, urgent care clinics and independent pharmacies to help Medicare beneficiaries navigate and access healthcare.
Seniors in the Extra Access program will get paired with a local health navigator and have around-the-clock access to a care team that coordinates with their primary care provider. In addition, members will have access to same- or next-day appointments, same-day prescription refills, annual Medicare benefits review and a yearly comprehensive health assessment.
The program will initially be available in more than 30 clinics across West Tennessee for over 59,000 Medicare patients, according to the announcement.
Joining Smith at Main Street Health is Bennett Graham and Dr. Sarah Chouinard as president and chief medical officer, respectively. Graham previously served as the senior vice president of operations at Aspire Health and Chouinard was formerly the CMO at Community Care of West Virginia.
The company is backed by Frist-Cressey Ventures, Oak HC/FT, Tyson Bickley, a partner at Waller and more healthcare entrepreneurs.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The US population is increasingly aging and by 2040, about one in five Americans will be at least 65 years old, representing 65 million people, according to the Urban Institute.
This presents a challenge as the primary health and well-being concerns for older adults include access to healthcare and support services, nutrition, housing and social isolation – all of which are made more difficult for those living in rural areas, according to a report from Population Health Management.
For the roughly 10 million older adults who live in rural areas, their geographic location corresponds with health disparities and a lower life expectancy, the report said.
"Rural residents receive lower Social Security and pension benefits than their urban counterparts, particularly rural-dwelling females with lower lifetime wages and greater longevity," the report said. "In addition, they tend to have a higher prevalence of chronic disease, a higher rate of disability, a lower prevalence of healthy behaviors, and fewer health professionals available to provide the services they need."
THE LARGER TREND
Value-based care is quickly becoming the next frontier in healthcare and there's no shortage of companies helping providers and patients navigate a new model.
Walgreens-backed VillageMD is reportedly looking to take its tech-enabled, value-based primary care services public.
Another value-based partner to a retail chain, Oak Street Health recently opened three new clinics at Walmart supercenters in Texas.
Aledade Health, which partners with independent practices, health centers and clinics to build and lead Accountable Care Organizations, recently scored $100 million in Series D funding.
There's also Privia Health, which went public in April.
ON THE RECORD
"My mom's family is from rural East Tennessee and my wife's family is from rural Alabama, and we have both experienced first-hand how much opportunity exists to improve access and the quality of healthcare in rural America," Brad Smith, the CEO of Main Street Health, said in a statement. "We are optimistic that our efforts will create a scalable way to revitalize and reimagine healthcare across rural America."
Twitter: @HackettMallory
Email the writer: mhackett@himss.org
