ArchWell Health Opening Midfield, Roebuck Marketplace Locations to Deliver Primary Care to Underserved Seniors

Innovative Centers Will Be Among the First in a National Rollout

BIRMINGHAM, AL (September 2, 2021) — Senior adults in Midfield and Birmingham will soon have access to two innovative primary care health centers focused on meeting the needs of the medically underserved.

ArchWell Health is a new healthcare company providing an advanced model of holistic primary healthcare services to Medicare-eligible seniors with the area locations being among the first in a planned national rollout.

The first ArchWell Health location in the Birmingham area is located in Midfield at 165 Bessemer Super Highway (opening in September). A second center at Roebuck Marketplace, 9176 Parkway East, will open in early fall. Both are among the initial ArchWell Health locations nationally, with additional centers planned in Birmingham and other parts of Alabama. The company will be opening centers in several states this fall. 

The centers establish state-of-the-art neighborhood healthcare centers featuring an advanced, senior-focused care model.

The company’s goal is to provide seniors access to excellent healthcare and healthy living options, irrespective of their economic situation. ArchWell Health centers will focus on providing comprehensive primary care for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, with the goal of enabling members to live healthier lives by offering them a higher level of care and a more positive experience.

Dr. Michael Lipp, Chief Medical Officer, said ArchWell Health Birmingham centers will provide a more comprehensive level of care than the traditional primary care model, including transportation, 24-hour service and access to same-day appointments, specialty and ancillary services, social workers, nutritionists, and more.

Each center’s physicians will have significantly fewer patients than the current national average, ensuring they have more time to work with the patient to solve their individual health challenges. The physicians and their care teams are specifically trained to care for seniors, who have more challenging health conditions than the general population, especially chronic conditions. Patients at ArchWell Health will receive care that is well coordinated, as compared to the fragmented care that many seniors experience today.  

“Seniors often have complex medical and social issues, and a holistic approach to care will help address their individual needs,” Dr. Lipp said. “The centers will be a safe place for seniors to connect socially and participate in activities such as exercise classes. We know how important social connection and staying active can be to leading a healthy life.”

“We conducted extensive research in markets nationally, and we found a real need for these holistic services in the Birmingham area. We are excited about launching this company here.”

The company has multiple ArchWell Health centers under development across in the U.S. All centers will be conveniently located in areas with large populations of seniors who have historically had limited access to quality primary care. In addition to the centers under development and expected to open by the fall of 2021, the company plans to open approximately 100 centers over the next several years.

ArchWell Health’s plan has been developed by a highly skilled management team with deep and broad healthcare experience in both provider and payor services.

Carl Whitmer, Co-Founder and CEO, said seniors experience better outcomes through greater continuity of care and a more thorough assessment of acute, chronic, and social determinant health needs.

“The healthcare needs of the senior population are often multi-faceted, so our goal is to establish long-term relationships to monitor and respond to physical and emotional needs for achieving the best quality of life,” Whitmer said. “The primary care doctors we work with will be supported by social, nutritional, and behavioral health services in each center.”

ArchWell Health will add hundreds of employees nationally by the end of 2021, increasing to more than 1,400 by the end of 2023 as additional centers open in cities across the U.S.

Whitmer noted that with the growing senior population, Medicare expenditures continue to strain federal spending, and there is a growing need for focused and cost-effective care of aging Americans.

“There are approximately 70 million Medicare beneficiaries today, and about 10,000 Baby Boomers join the ranks of Medicare eligibility every day,” Whitmer said. “Medicare beneficiaries account for approximately 20 percent of national healthcare spending today, and this percentage is expected to increase.”

He said the company’s strategy of locating in underserved communities will create access and help to deliver care where it is needed most. ArchWell Health intends to engage seniors in the communities where they live. Outreach teams will be active in community events and working with community groups, senior organizations, religious organizations like churches, and other organizations to reach seniors in need. In addition, ArchWell Health will work together with local community members, including church leaders, aldermen, business leaders, and community groups to identify the challenges common to seniors in a local area. Dr. Lipp closed with, “We are thrilled to be bringing together a team of excellent, caring primary care providers to begin serving our patients in our communities.”