This Primary Care Center Treats Older Adults Like Royalty

Dorothy Davis was tired of the excessive wait times at her doctor’s office. After waiting over an hour for her last appointment, she walked out without being seen — and never went back.

So, when she heard about an open house at her local ArchWell Health primary care center in Birmingham, Alabama, she considered it a godsend. She took a tour and loved the cleanliness of the facility, the friendliness of the staff, the ease of parking and the promptness of her physician. Plus, the center specializes in serving adults over 60.

“Hardly ever am I in the waiting room — maybe five minutes tops,” says Ms. Davis, who has been an ArchWell Health member since October 2022. “That impressed me.”

Attentive Primary Care for Older Adults

In addition to timely medical attention within her local center in Birmingham, Alabama, Ms. Davis has also benefited from prompt healthcare services. Last year, when she called her care team about respiratory symptoms, they told her to come right over so they could test her for strep, flu and COVID-19.

“I called and they didn’t say, ‘Come tomorrow’ or ‘We can’t do it today,’” she says.

Instead, they swabbed her in her car and called 10 minutes later to tell her she had COVID-19.

After staying home for a week as instructed, Ms. Davis called to ask for another test in hopes of visiting her new grandchild. She pulled up to the center and got tested at lunchtime, telling the team member not to worry about calling with the results right away. But the kind staffer took care of her immediately, saying, “Ms. Davis, I’m going to call you in 10 minutes. Don’t you worry about my lunch.”

True to her word, the team member called with the results less than 10 minutes later: “Ms. Davis, you’re negative. Go see your grandbaby.”

“That’s the kind of attention I get,” says the grateful grandma. “They treat me like I’m a queen.”

Kindness, Dignity and Respect

In fact, when Ms. Davis won a prize for being the 100th patient seen at her local center, staff members treated her like she was queen for the day. But, as she can attest, kindness and courtesy are not out of the ordinary at ArchWell Health.

“Anytime you come in, they just really treat you nice,” she says. “The atmosphere is just so friendly.”

It’s a stark contrast to her experience with her previous doctor, whom she had seen for about five years.

“The whole time I was in the office, she hardly ever looked at me. There was no interaction,” says Ms. Davis. “At my age, people want somebody to treat them with dignity.”

The ArchWell Health Difference

For many older adults, long wait times and impersonal treatment are barriers to quality healthcare. But ArchWell Health’s senior-focused approach ensures that members get plenty of one-on-one time with their doctor and are treated with dignity and respect. It all adds up to a higher level of primary care that empowers older adults to live life to the fullest.

See the ArchWell Health difference for yourself. Request an appointment today!