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The Champion, Thursday, December 24 - 30,2015 BUSINESS
A Section 12-24-15.indd 15
12/22/15 3:44 PM
Harken introduces new health care model
by Kathy Mitchell
One of America’s newest
healthcare systems comes to the
Atlanta area with the start of the
new year as Harken Health opens
a network of centers.
“I’m very excited to intro
duce this unique model of health
care to the Atlanta area. We call it
health care reimagined because we
asked people what they want when
they seek health care and what
they find frustrating. Then we de
signed a system from the ground
up that’s aligned to people’s needs.
Our goal is to simplify and im
prove the health care experience,”
said Tom Vanderheyden, Harken
Health CEO and a member of the
team that created the system.
Vanderheyden and other Har
ken representatives held an open
house Dec. 3 at the downtown
Decatur center, where tours of the
facility were conducted and in
formation distributed. The event
also included free yoga classes as
a demonstration of the types of
wellness events that are to be held
regularly at the center. In addition
to yoga, strength training, health
ful cooking classes, diabetes man
agement classes and similar ses
sions will be offered at no charge
to members.
Atlanta is the second area to
have Harken Health centers. The
system was introduced in Chicago
earlier in 2015. Harken plans to
expand to other communities
soon, Vanderheyden said.
“The nationwide health care
conversation has never needed to
be more personal or poignant,”
according to Vanderheyden, who
added, “It touches all of us and
particularly affects Atlanta’s small
businesses and thousands of resi
dents searching for quality care.”
Describing the model as “re
lationship-based,” Vanderheyden
said a health coach who works
with the patient and his or her
healthcare providers to make sure
each is fully informed is part of
each member’s care team.
Describing the health coaches
as the team’s “quarterback,” Van
derheyden said they help members
form and maintain plans for their
health and well-being. “Typically,
they sit down with patients and
review what they want to talk with
the doctor about on that visit so
the patient doesn’t forget to bring
up questions that he may have,” he
added.
Vanderheyden said not all
health coaches are health care pro
fessionals, “But they are all experts
in listening,” he said.
“Strong relationships and a
home base for high-quality pri
mary care have been shown to
improve patient satisfaction and
lower overall medical costs. Team
members are empowered with the
time to listen and build authentic
and trusting relationships with
members,” Vanderheyden said.
Harken integrates care and
health insurance so there are
no claims to file and no bills for
primary care visits. “We believe
this not only makes health care
simpler for the patient, but it also
keeps it competitively priced,”
Vanderheyden said. The monthly
premium covers unlimited visits
and gives the member seven-day-a
week, 24-hour a day access to doc
tors, nurses, physician’s assistants,
health coaches and other care
givers who can be reached by tele
phone or email.
“We have behavioral health
specialists on staff,” Vanderheyden
noted. “That’s something most
places refer patients to another fa
cility for.” He said online prescrip
tion drug ordering is also part of
Harkens service.
Harken members also are cov
ered for urgent care when they’re
traveling with access to approxi
mately 850,000 physicians, medi
cal professionals and hospitals.
For routine care, members can
come to any one of Harkens loca
tions, including ones in Decatur,
Brookhaven and four other At
lanta area locations, where space
is used differently from the way
health clinics are typically config
ured.
“We have sought to make the
space warm and inviting. This is
a consulting room,” Vanderhey
den said, pointing to a parlor-like
room in the Decatur center with
chairs and a sofa. “A doctor and
patient don’t always need to be in
an examining room.”
The name was chosen for two
reasons, Vanderheyden explained.
“First, harken means listen and
we feel that listening to patients is
a crucial part of providing qual
ity healthcare. Secondly, ‘harken
back’ means to return—and that’s
what we do. We return to a sim
pler time when doctors knew pa
tients by name and took the time
to listen to and understand them.”
One of the new centers is located in downtown Decatur.
A silent auction at the Decatur open hose featured health-focused artwork created by local artists.
Proceeds benefited the Decatur Education Foundation.
GLOBALLY AWARE
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce • Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, GA 30030 • 404.378.8000 • www.dekalbchamber.org
DeKalb chamber
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