Eleven Health Care Organizations Form Primary Care for America

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, 11 organizations announced the formation of Primary Care for America, a collaboration focused on demonstrating the value of primary care, the need for increased primary care investment, and the importance of innovation in primary care delivery and payment models. Primary Care for America is comprised of a diverse group of key partners including: agilon health, Aledade, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, Catalyst Health Network, ChenMed, Elation Health, Everside Health, MDVIP, One Medical and VillageMD.

Dr. William Wulf, chief executive officer at Central Ohio Primary Care, the largest independent, physician-owned primary care practice in the country and founding physician partner of agilon health, previewed the announcement earlier today during a virtual Hill briefing.

"We've known for many years the positive health impacts of delivering comprehensive, patient-centered health care grounded in primary care. That's why we're thrilled to announce the formation of Primary Care for America," Dr. Wulf said. "With the COVID-19 pandemic further exposing the flaws and limitations of our current system, now more than ever, we need to prioritize patients receiving the health care they deserve – one that prioritizes their health above all else."

The announcement comes on the heels of the May 2021National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) report which outlines primary care as the only discipline of medicine where a greater supply results in better health outcomes, longer life expectancy and lower costs. Building on NASEM's report recommendations, Primary Care for America has outlined the following guiding principles to transform primary care in America:

• Our health system must prioritize the role of primary care physicians in promoting patient health and wellness instead of the current fee-for-service framework that narrowly incentivizes "sick" care.
• We must improve access to comprehensive and continuous primary care for patients in underserved communities by removing barriers to care including workforce shortages and health insurance status.
• We must restore growth in the primary care workforce to ensure effective and accessible care for future generations.
• The primary care infrastructure must allow for flexibility and innovation to meet individual community needs.
• More resources must be allocated to primary care with an increased focus on comprehensiveness of care.

"Operating on the front lines of health care, primary care clinicians are uniquely positioned to serve as the keystone of a modernized, high-functioning health care system that can enhance patient care and reduce health care costs," said Kyna Fong, PhD, CEO and co-founder, Elation Health, "Primary care clinicians provide valuable preventive care and are often the first line of defense in managing chronic diseases, identifying and diagnosing mental health illness, and reinforcing public health activities. However, their critical role has historically been underprioritized and under-resourced. It's time we changed that."

In the coming months, Primary Care for America will educate and engage policy makers through a series of briefings, recommendations and roundtable discussions to influence public policy that will deliver a health care system that is driven by innovation, delivers patient-centered integrated care, guarantees equitable access, and ensures effective care for future generations.

Primary Care for America (PCfA) is a collaboration focused on demonstrating the value of primary care, the need for increased primary care investment and the importance of innovation in primary care delivery and payment models. PCfA is comprised of a diverse group of key partners in the American health care industry: agilon health, Aledade, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, Catalyst Health Network, ChenMed, Elation Health, Everside Health, MDVIP, One Medical and VillageMD. For more information about Primary Care for America, visit primarycareforamerica.org.

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SOURCE Primary Care for America