Pumpkin socials, Wii Sports competitions, Zumba and book clubs aren’t the typical events one would expect to find at a primary health clinic, but Oak Street Health, based in Chicago, has recently opened its doors in Indianapolis.
Oak Street Health is designed specifically for seniors 65 and older and approaches whole health care in a new way. Since its grand opening on the city’s east side in the Irvington neighborhood and on the west side in the Speedway area, the two clinics have been booming with business.
“Business has been great, and we’ve been well-received in the Indianapolis community. We already knew there was a need, but that doesn’t mean community members are going to accept that need,” said Joni Collins, community relations manager at the Irvington location. “It’s for those 65 and older who have Medicare. What’s great is, we provide transportation for those who are eligible — within a 10-mile radius of our clinic — and don’t have reliable transportation.”
Each clinic is equipped with a social worker, patient manager and a Care Team, composed of a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, a scribe (who assists doctors by typing medical information) and a medical assistant. Oak Street Health prides itself on doctors spending at least 40 minutes with patients on the first visit and 30 minutes at each follow up visit. The Irvington location is looking forward to bringing in a second Care Team very soon.
In addition to ample medical support, Oak Street Health provides a community room to all senior citizens, no matter their membership status.
“We want our seniors to be physically healthy, because they get to a point where they get into their homes and can’t get out. We like to create an environment they are comfortable in while engaging with others. We encourage if they have friends who are interested in planning a program to take full advantage of it,” stated Collins.
Tiffany Geissman, community coordinator for the Irvington location, oversees all in-center events in the community room, designing a diverse community calendar and spending the day building relationships with patients who may be waiting for the doctor.
“I try to take into consideration any suggestions I hear from our patients for monthly activities,” said Geissman. “I love my job because I get to spend a lot of time with our patients, and I get to know them a little better. We have events like bingo and arts and crafts where I get more time to talk with people. We also have more informative events like weight management seminars and Medicare maze seminars that are more of a presentation.”
To continue spreading the word about the primary physician clinic, an outreach team has been assembled to visit local events to inform people of the services and resources available.
For more information on Oak Street Health, visit Oakstreethealth.com.
Inside Oak Street Health’s Irvington location:
