How to Start a Direct Primary Care Practice

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Roxanne Jones: We had to break out of this fee for service model. How did we attract people? It's good old fashioned boots on the ground. She says they hired a health coach who helped patients engage with each other. Jones: They don't need to know anything about healthcare, all they can do is connect another human being.

Today, we're excited to get to know Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, previous Chief Innovation Officer of One Medical, an organization dedicated to providing human-centered, technology-powered primary care to people across every stage of life.

In an acquisition that shook the healthcare industry in September 2021, One Medical completed the purchase of Iora Health - a primary care organization that prioritizes human-centered, value-based care. The deal, which amounted to a staggering $1.4 billion, was a testament to Iora Health's success in delivering high-quality care at lower costs, while improving patient satisfaction.

The visionary behind Iora is none other than Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, who spent decades improving the quality of healthcare delivered to patients. He was the Executive Director of the Harvard Interfaculty Program for Health Systems Improvement, and Managing Director of the Clinical Initiatives Center at the Advisory Board Company. He also serves on the staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital and on the faculty of Harvard Medical School.

In this episode, Dr. Fernandopulle talks about his path to medicine, describes how he started and grew Iora Health, the acquisition by One Medical, and the future of primary care.