ChenMed Executes Contracts for 18 of 26 New Medical Centers Opening in 2021

Banner 2020 and first quarter 2021 fuel rapid ChenMed expansion in four states

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Apr 22, 2021, 11:00 ET

MIAMI, April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ChenMed, a leading senior-focused primary care practice, today announced leases are signed on the first 18 of 26 new medical practices it expects to open in 2021. The physician-owned and led company is self-funding these initial openings in four states, having achieved 19 percent net member growth in 2020, along with 11 percent higher net membership growth during the first quarter of 2021.

The first wave of 2021 new ChenMed practice openings includes six new centers in Detroit, five new centers in Houston, and significant expansions in greater Miami, up 36 percent; Orlando, up 33 percent; Tampa Bay, up 20 percent; and New Orleans, up 25 percent.

"Our commitment to underserved communities has never been stronger," says Christopher Chen, M.D. ChenMed CEO. "We'll soon be operating nearly 95 primary care centers in 12 states, in the neighborhoods where they are most needed. We already are applying so many learnings from the coronavirus pandemic to further sharpen the high-touch primary care we effectively deliver to tens of thousands of low-income seniors with complex health and an average age of 72 years."

ChenMed doctors fulfill their purpose by being accountable for helping their patients achieve better health, including responding quickly to patient calls or texts to their cell phones and honoring same-day telehealth or in-person appointments when needed. Plus, ChenMed centers offer services that help reduce barriers to healthy living, from transportation assistance to on-site medications to helping with social services, along with weekly "love calls" to check on patients.

"We're a provider of choice for more than 20 Medicare Advantage health plans precisely because of our practice's proven ability to pivot whenever needed to improve both quality of care and patient experience," explains Jason Barker, chief operations officer at ChenMed. "Our doctors and care teams do whatever it takes to help vulnerable seniors stay healthy and happy. We deliver affordable VIP care that includes patients having their primary care doctor's cell phone number and being able to see their doctor same day, either by telehealth or a safe in-person appointment."

ChenMed centers are universally located in underserved neighborhoods, where lack of access to high quality primary care and other social determinants of health have negatively impacted longevity for many years. These barriers have shortened average life spans by as much as 20 years when compared to older adults living in nearby more affluent zip codes. So, the innovative medical practice is working to address what Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr heralded more than 50 years ago: "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman."

Community service is a ChenMed medical practice hallmark. So, every Chen, Dedicated or JenCare Senior Medical Center opening means another underserved neighborhood starts receiving strategic good will from the mission-driven practice. For example, ChenMed recently pushed forward its VaxTheNation™ program in all 10 of the states in which it operates more than 75 centers. This physician-led community service initiative has, during the past six weeks alone, safely administered more than 50,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to seniors in neighborhoods having heightened need, as spotlighted in the latest COVID-19 vaccines race and ethnicity report.

Published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the report shows that:
- Blacks represent 16 percent of Florida's population and 17 percent of COVID-19 deaths; yet, only eight percent of Florida COVID-19 vaccinations
- Hispanics represent 27 percent of Florida's population and 37 percent of COVID-19 cases; yet only 21 percent of Florida COVID-19 vaccinations
- Blacks represent 11 percent of Pennsylvania's population and 12 percent of COVID-19 deaths; yet only four percent of Pennsylvania COVID-19 vaccinations
- Hispanics represent 18 percent of Illinois' population and 25 percent of COVID-19 cases; yet only 11 percent of Illinois COVID-19 vaccinations

About ChenMed

ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare Advantage-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. This high-touch primary care is shown to reduce coronavirus deaths by 40 percent, according to a study published in American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Named one of Fortune 2020 "Change the World" companies, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center and JenCare Senior Medical Center.

SOURCE ChenMed