Alan Cohn – Quality Talks 2020 Q&A

What’s in a name? For Alan Cohn, his company’s name is its goal. It aims to provide fully comprehensive, patient-centered primary care for every patient at its five health centers in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Atlanta.

But it’s not just what AbsoluteCARE offers its patients. It’s also who those patients are. The centers’ patients are the sickest of the sick.  Many are also homeless. Some are not sure where they will get their next meal. So, they are most likely to avoid or delay regular care. They are most likely to visit the ER for care of chronic illnesses that could be managed better in primary care.

“Our patient-centered model has been life changing for so many people,” Cohn proudly boasts. Still in its youth, AbsoluteCARE’s approach has remarkably improved patients access to care and reduced unnecessary hospital visits. Look at these numbers in a Baltimore center: Six months after enrollment, patient hospital admissions dropped 42%. ER visits fell 39%

The Absolute secret? Each center combines primary care, prevention and wellness, nutritional counseling, social and behavioral programs, a pharmacy, x-ray and lab services, all under one roof. AbsoluteCARE also limits each doctor (and support team) to 300 patients (instead of the usual 1,000+ that crowd the appointment book of a typical doctor). That means more time and attention devoted to meeting patient needs, even beyond traditional care.  We’d say that’s quality improvement. Absolutely.