Iora Primary Care To Enter Houston this Fall, Marking First Entry in Texas

HOUSTON, March 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Iora Primary Care today announced that it will enter Houston, Texas, with new practices opening this fall, providing high quality, relationship based care to adults on Medicare. The locations will open in the fall of 2019 with a number of sites in the Houston metro area.

Having a primary care provider lowers the odds of premature death by 19 percent and saves an estimated 33 percent on healthcare expenses, yet nearly 39 percent of Texans have not seen a doctor in 12 months and 32 percent report not having a doctor at all. In fact, this disparity likely contributed to the 39.7 percent of visits to Harris County emergency rooms that were primary care related.

Lack of access to a primary care doctor is particularly worrisome for the state's Medicare beneficiaries who are often more vulnerable because they can have multiple chronic conditions - 83 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have one or more chronic conditions and 23 percent have five or more chronic conditions.

Iora Primary Care has a proven track record of delivering better care for older adults. Building off of its success in seven states across the country, Iora's new Houston practices will change everything about care for its patients and employees in Houston: the team, outcome-focused payment and the technology that supports care. Through its unique care, Iora has improved the lives of patients while lowering overall healthcare costs. Iora Primary Care practices are run by Iora Health.

To support the new practices, Iora will occupy more than 43,000 square feet in Houston and will hire 60 positions including physicians, health coaches, team nurses and operations roles. In these roles, primary care teams will be able to focus on building relationships with patients and will have access to an electronic health record (EHR) that is designed to support coordinated care. Because of Iora's value based care which allows Iora to be paid for health outcomes, teams are able to spend more time with patients. At Iora Primary Care, teams have smaller panel sizes, practice true population health and offer more personalized care.

"While 2019 will bring many changes and growth to the Houston medical community, Iora is bringing an entirely new type of care for older adults. We know our innovative way of caring for members of the community can positively impact the health of Houstonians. In fact, we've seen how our more personalized care has helped patients across the country. We are thrilled to be able to help adults on Medicare in this community stay healthier and lead happier lives," said Rushika Fernandopulle, MD, MPP, co-founder and CEO of Iora.

Iora Primary Care currently serves thousands of Medicare patients across the country, in seven states, with a high impact, relationship-based care model that is proven to delight patients, improve health and reduce costs. Iora patients experience:

• Longer appointments and a team that listens.
• Highly rated customer service and high levels of satisfaction (in one study, Iora patients reported a Net Promoter Score of 90, compared to industry averages of 3).
• An integrated care team including doctors, health coaches and behavioral health specialists, who guide patients' care through the complex health system.
• Convenience, including onsite labs and 24/7 access to healthcare professionals by phone for urgent needs.

Iora's patients overall have seen a 40 percent decrease in hospitalizations and a 20 percent decrease in ER visits while also reporting high rates of satisfaction; Iora patients report an industry-leading average 90 Net Promoter Score.

About Iora Primary Care

Iora Primary Care is a doctor's office dedicated to—and designed especially for—older adults. Our doctors have smaller panel sizes and are able to spend more time with patients in order to understand their health needs and goals. We take a team approach to primary care by working with our patients and their specialists, insurance plan, and caregivers, if needed, to ensure all of their healthcare is on the same page. Find out more by visiting https://ioraprimarycare.com/tx/coming-soon.

Iora, Iora Primary Care and Iora Health and the Flying Bird design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Iora Health, Inc.

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SOURCE Iora Health