Focusing on individual needs is changing patients’ lives — and here’s how it can do the same for you.
Jerry McCoy of Houston, Texas, has suffered from diabetes for 20 years. It once got so tough that he couldn’t go to church or outdoors at all for two months. What he needed was thoughtful, personalized care.
Thanks to our friends at Humana, he finally got exactly that. Less than three months after working with the care team at one of the company’s CenterWell Senior Primary Care facilities, McCoy is now exercising more, has lost over 30 pounds, and has taken charge of his high blood pressure. “I’ve never had care like this before,” says McCoy. “They made me feel like I was the only patient they had — they appeared to be more concerned about me than I was.”
How CenterWell is leading the charge in personalized, holistic senior care
Last year, Humana launched CenterWell, a new brand that represents all the ways Humana keeps patients at the center of everything. How? By using what they call a whole person approach to senior-focused primary care.
“It’s hard to get people to really focus on taking care of their health if they’re worried about housing, transportation, or access to healthy foods,” says Renee Buckingham, president of Humana’s Primary Care Organization, which includes CenterWell. That’s why CenterWell offers comprehensive, integrated support services that allow the physicians and care teams to fully understand their patients’ lifestyles and environments to improve outcomes. And since over 80 percent of seniors live with one or more chronic conditions, the care teams at CenterWell typically include physicians, nurses, behavioral health specialists, social workers, pharmacists, and care coaches — giving seniors access to an array of specialists.
So how exactly does Humana’s whole person approach work?
“The care teams not only address physical needs, but also seniors’ social needs, such as food insecurity, housing instability, utility needs, transportation needs, and interpersonal violence,” says Buckingham. “Our holistic view of our patients’ needs results in longer, more frequent visits, which benefit the patient and the provider. Our physicians average 40 minutes per patient visit, rather than the usual 15 to 20 minutes in a traditional, fee-for-service environment.”
Mr. McCoy’s journey represents the type of life-changing care CenterWell can provide. “Helping people with their basic needs before helping people with their health is becoming a bigger part of the primary care practice.”
During 2021, Humana increased its emphasis on primary care for seniors and now owns and operates approximately 200 senior-focused care facilities under the CenterWell and Conviva brands. The growth of these facilities will continue in 2022, with CenterWell expecting to open 25 to 30 new centers. If you or a loved one is interested in learning more about senior-focused primary care, please visit the CenterWell website to learn more here.
The information provided on this site isn’t intended as medical advice, and shouldn’t replace professional medical treatment. Consult your doctor with any serious health concerns.
