049 Better Primary Care for Older Adults: the Oak Street Health Story

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Griffin Myers, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Oak Street Health, a Chicago-based network of primary care clinics designed to serve older adults. They discuss:

• What makes Oak Street Health’s primary care different from usual primary care
• Why every patient is assigned to a team and not just a doctor
• How Oak Street Health uses patient relations managers, care managers, pharmacists, and other team members to address issues that many primary care providers don’t
• The problems with fee-for-service in primary care, and the benefits of accountable care
• How Oak Street Health is able to serve seniors of all income levels, without charging extra fees
• How they help older adults avoid risky medications
• Advice for innovators developing health technologies for aging adults

Related episode: 

046 Interview: Deprescribing & Reducing Risky Medications in Aging

Related Resources:

• Oak Street Health
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • List of Oak Street Health Centers
• Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
• The Risk Adjustment Program HCC Coding
• Creating Patient-centered Team-based Primary Care