Company Profile:
Oak Street Health
What if we only paid for healthcare that worked?
Oak Street Health is a network of primary-care centers for people on Medicare with an innovative model of care that is focused on keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital. They build relationships between their patients and their doctors and care teams, and invest in giving their patients better access to care. Oak Sreet Health's patients enjoy the benefits of personal managed care, transportation and daily programming in their community rooms. Oak Street Health has fifteen locations in Illinois and Indiana, with plans for further expansion.Q: Please tell us how your idea was conceived. Was there an "aha" moment or did it evolve gradually?
A: Our founders recognized an opportunity hidden in plain sight: expensive, reactive, low-quality healthcare did not have to be that way. By investing in thoughtful primary care, we keep people healthy and out of the hospital. Ours is a value-based model in which Oak Street Health keeps the savings generated by preventing expensive hospitalizations. Our patients are living happier, healthier lives and the company is using medical cost savings to expand and serve more communities.
Q: What's the most inventive, innovative, or disruptive aspect of your initiative?
A: At Oak Street Health we work with older, low-income patients that others in the system avoid and we don't play the same "how many patients can we see in one day" game. We invest in taking our time, building relationships, and use data-enabled population health metrics to drive better health in our communities. The results speak for themselves: Oak Street Health has reduced hospital admissions by over 40%, has achieved 5-star quality ratings, and has a 92% net promoter score (a measurement of patient satisfaction).
Q: What single word or phrase best describes the culture of your startup and why?
A: Mission-driven
From analysts crunching health data at headquarters to community room coordinators putting together bingo games to doctors and nurses teaching in examination rooms: we are all committed to addressing a great social need with the utmost professionalism and care.
From analysts crunching health data at headquarters to community room coordinators putting together bingo games to doctors and nurses teaching in examination rooms: we are all committed to addressing a great social need with the utmost professionalism and care.
Q: If you had a theme song, what would it be and why?
A: "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers
Patients find more than healthcare at Oak Street Health: they form meaningful relationships with doctors, nurses, social workers, and fellow patients who treat them like family. Our patients find that they can truly lean on us to live happy, thriving lives.
Patients find more than healthcare at Oak Street Health: they form meaningful relationships with doctors, nurses, social workers, and fellow patients who treat them like family. Our patients find that they can truly lean on us to live happy, thriving lives.
Leadership: