Walden Healthcare Solutions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Walden Center for Personal Health?
The Walden Center for Personal Health is a primary care practice with one to three doctors and support staff delivering personalized healthcare to patients – a model we have named 360 Medicine. 360Medicine includes traditional medical care reimbursable by health insurance, plus a complement of additional services that meet all healthcare needs of the patient. These include comprehensive education and lifestyle support, psychosocial care and alternative medicine, as well as concierge services like prescription delivery, enhanced referral services, home visits and after-hours contact with their physician.
Where is the Walden Center for Personal Health located?
The flagship location of the Walden Center will be located in the Emerson Hospital primary service market in Concord, Massachusetts. Future expansion is anticipated throughout New England.
How are retainer-based practices different?
In a traditional primary care practice, physicians make an average net profit of $400 per patient per year. That is all! Equate this to a car dealer who gets several hundred or up to $2000 on a single car sale. In order for a physician to make a reasonable salary and cover expenses he or she needs an average panel of 2400 patients. Physicians band together in large practices to share administrative costs resulting in very complex business operations. Patients are scheduled 4 to 6 per hour; physician extenders are leveraged to accommodate all patient needs. The outcome for patients is a 4 month wait for routine appointments, a telephone matrix nightmare and overworked, unhappy staff. When a patient joins a retainer-based practice and pays $1800/year, he or she is paying a premium to ensure a reduced patient panel. With fewer patients, there are fewer administrative costs and hassles, and more time can be provided to each individual patient.

For more information, please visit the Society for Innovative Medical Practice Design.
What makes this a unique opportunity for a physician?
360Medicine offers the physician a new way of practicing medicine. The physician no longer has to rely solely on third party reimbursement and policies that drive how they practice medicine. There is no longer the pressure to churn patients in order to make a living. Walden Healthcare Solutions assumes the management responsibility of the practice yet offers physicians an opportunity to work in a creative environment where they can participate in the decision making, assist in the development of the business, and positively impact the quality of patient healthcare.

There are national companies offering franchise - like concierge practice opportunities but these offer only support services such as common electronic medical record, group purchasing, and a pre-formatted concierge practice structure. Walden Healthcare Solutions offers a full complement of practice management services and the opportunity to collaborate with a company that is innovating the way patients experience healthcare.
Which components of practice management does Walden Healthcare Solutions assume?
Walden Healthcare Solutions offers what we call "turnkey management". In other words we set up the complete physical office space and all required equipment to start the business. We also hire staff, establish office policies, manage payroll and benefits, secure revenue cycle management and electronic medical record software, and perform all billing/collection functions.
Would the physician be an employee of Walden Healthcare?
No. Walden Healthcare works with physicians as independent team members - those who can contribute wholly to the concept and growth of Walden Center for Personal Health and will have a vested interest in the success of the venture. We seek entrepreneurial physicians who share our vision, and desire a private practice environment without full financial risk. Our business structure allows us to help finance the typical start-up expenses of a medical practice, as well as, marketing you and the concierge approach to medicine.
How many patients are assigned to each physician?
Walden Centers will cap the patient panel to approximately one quarter to one third of that experienced in a traditional primary care practice. Final panel sizes will be determined between the physician and Walden Healthcare Managing Directors.
How will a doctor(s) in a Walden Center be able to provide all of the extra services?
The physician's role at Walden Centers will differ from that at a traditional practice. Responsibility for fewer patients will allow the physician time to cultivate a higher quality relationship with patients that will include all aspects of their care. Walden management provides the other services, including education, prescription delivery, support groups, and arranging complementary services in the office. Although Walden Center doctors and nurses will ocassionally teach classes, Walden Managing Directors, or other professional medical educators will conduct most teaching.
What does Walden offer that no one else does?
Walden Healthcare promises to provide physicians with the time, resources and support to care for all facets of a patient's healthcare needs. Walden Healthcare Solutions offers ongoing practice management so the physician can focus on practicing medicine; comprehensive educational programs to support the nutrition, lifestyle, psychosocial components of patient care; and the opportunity to work with the managing directors to create a culture that supports innovative healthcare.