6 new senior-focused health centers planned for metro Phoenix by a Humana business unit
Seniors in metro Phoenix will soon have more health care options, as a Humana business unit focused on providing care for seniors intends to open six or more health-care facilities here over the next year or so.
CenterWell Senior Primary Care will open the six centers in as-yet undisclosed areas of the Valley. That's in addition to 20 or so facilities slated for Dallas-Fort Worth; Nashville, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Louisville, Kentucky.
The emphasis is on Medicare patients, including those who are underserved in terms of transportation access, low-income status or other characteristics, said Cheri Greenfield-LaTour, president of CenterWell's market-expansion division.
The CenterWell centers claim to offer a more personalized approach, including longer average visits with doctors. The facilities include features such as non-slip floors, wider halls and doorways, and examination chairs that are easy to get in and out of.
Combined, the six metro Phoenix facilities will hire at least 100 or so employees, including doctors, nurses, medical assistants, social workers, care coaches, claim managers and referral coordinators, Greenfield-LaTour said. The company has started to recruit for some of those positions.
The centers also will feature activity areas for hosting fitness classes, well-being clinics, talks by doctors and other events, she added.
Humana, headquartered in Louisville, already is one of Arizona's larger nongovernmental employers with a statewide staff of about 2,500.
CenterWell facilities are staffed by physician-headed teams specially trained to treat people ages 65 and up, including those with chronic and acute conditions. Doctors typically spend about 40 minutes per patient visit. The personalized-care focus often extends to helping people with social, behavioral or financial problems.
Humana currently operates roughly 200 senior primary-care facilities in nine states under the CenterWell and Conviva brands, which also have business relationships with other health-insurance companies.
Humana's Primary Care Organization serves roughly 300,000 patients nationally belonging to various Medicare plans, with a focus on states in the South and Midwest.
Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Humana's CenterWell Senior Primary Care plans 6 Phoenix health centers
