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Health & Wellness

From Transformative Primary Care To Transformative Home Care

Melissa Garcia Villa

09 Sep 2024

2 min read

Gordon L. Chen, MD

Sep 12, 2024

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min read

My journey in healthcare began with a deep passion for transforming primary care for older adults, culminating in the growth of ChenMed into one of the nation’s leading providers in this field. Over nearly two decades, we developed a model that delivered high-quality healthcare, reduced hospitalizations by 30-50%, and extended patients' life expectancy by 5-7 years in over 130 communities nationwide. The success of ChenMed was rooted in our ability to build strong, trusting relationships with our patients and create a mission-driven environment. These relationships were pivotal in encouraging and supporting behavior changes through frequent visits with our dedicated primary care providers and care teams.

Throughout this journey, I often wondered: What if we could extend our impact beyond the clinic and into the home? We imagined the benefits of influencing our patients' daily lives—what they eat, exercise, move, and the kind of support system they have at home. This vision led us to realize that we could do even more by reaching patients in their most personal environment—their homes.

After my wife, Jessica, and I stepped down from our operational roles at ChenMed, we explored this idea further and founded ThriveWell At Home. Our goal was clear: to enhance our client's health, wellness, and longevity by integrating concierge care management with dedicated personal physician care in the comfort of their homes. We envisioned caregivers who are not only compassionate but also highly trained to work closely with doctors, nurses, and social workers, creating a fully integrated support system tailored to each client's unique needs.

At ThriveWell At Home, our approach goes beyond mere support; it focuses on strengthening and regaining function wherever possible. We believe in a holistic approach that addresses the 5 Drivers of Health and Wellness: personal, community, physical, nutritional, and spiritual. This comprehensive approach has shown that it is possible to reverse disease, regain function, reduce medication needs, and help people live longer more fulfilling lives.

Having witnessed the effectiveness of this approach at ChenMed, Jessica and I are now channeling our passion into home care. Our mission with ThriveWell At Home is to help older adults and their families thrive by providing compassionate, integrated care right where it’s needed most—in their homes. We are committed to improving lives by empowering clients to live independently and purposefully for as long as possible.

We look forward to making a difference in the lives of older adults and their families.