This article has been updated since it first appeared in print.
Dr. Abraham Teklu, left, at the grand opening of CenterWell Senior Primary Care in Midlothian (Photo courtesy CenterWell)
Richmond resident Grace Browne is 78, and she vows that she won’t be brushed off by a doctor again. “It’s very important for doctors to take time with seniors, because they don’t often have people who ask them how they are, what they’ve been doing or where they’ve been since the last visit,” Browne says.
She’s found the personalized, time-invested care she was looking for at a new provider in the Richmond area, CenterWell Senior Primary Care. Part of a national network of primary care facilities, it serves patients ages 65 and older. The centers are operated by health insurance company Humana, with eight facilities coming to Virginia this year. Richmond-area outposts opened in November 2023 in Midlothian and on South Laburnum Avenue in Henrico County, where Browne is a patient. A Brook Road location in Richmond opened last month.
The centers accommodate older adults with amenities including wider hallways, wheelchair-accessible scales and chairs that convert to exam tables. Browne is a CenterWell convert, having recently switched her care to the provider. The locations also act as community centers, hosting game and movie nights, exercise and educational classes, and holiday celebrations. These activities are open to the public, with the understanding that socialization contributes to overall health and well-being.
“Whole-person health care that caters to each patient’s needs is how everyone should experience health care,” says Dr. Abraham Teklu, a physician at the Midlothian location. “Curated primary care is a trend because patients know the system is complex and want help getting the most out of their health care benefits.”
Dr. Angelika Jovan, a physician at the South Laburnum office, treats Browne. “A typical appointment at CenterWell is up to 50% longer than at other offices,” she says. “Longer appointments give doctors time to answer questions and address gaps in care.”
And the long wait times common at doctor’s offices? Not the case for Browne anymore. “This was right on time,” she says. “I appreciate that, because our time is just as important as their time. We may be seniors, but we have things to do.”
The number of Richmond-area patients drawn to the CenterWell models is growing, Teklu says. CenterWell contends that senior-focused primary care contributes to 31% fewer avoidable hospitalizations for patients and a greater likelihood that patients will follow through with appointments.
A commonly understood failure of the modern health care industry is the missing doctor-patient bond. Building that relationship is a priority at CenterWell, one that Browne appreciates. “To me, that is very important.”
