Visitors can get a sneak peek at new health-care services

Seniors in Shreveport and Bossier City soon will have a new option for their medical care. At Partners in Primary Care, the goal is to create an entirely new care experience, from the waiting rooms to the exam tables.

“The exam tables look like a La-z- Boy chair,” said Brian Garrett, regional director of operations for Partners in Primary Care. “The patient can slide in, and it lays back into an exam table. We designed it with the patient in mind.”

Prospective patients can immerse themselves in the concept by visiting the Discovery Experience, located next to the food court inside the Pierre Bossier Mall in Bossier City. The Discovery Experience offers visitors a preview of the two centers that plans to open in the Shreveport and Bossier City areas in the coming months.

Visitors will be able to see what the new centers will look like, explore Partners’ care model, meet the staff and learn about Medicare and staying healthy as they age.

“It gives the patient a chance to ask questions about what we are doing that’s different,” Garrett said. “People like to try before they buy. This gives them the opportunity to ask questions before the clinic opens up.”

Dr. Brienne Loy, regional medical director, said the Discovery Experience is the next best thing to being in a facility.

“It really does have the look and feel of a clinic,” she said. “We have video set up so patients can hear from the care team. They can get a video tour of what it is like to be seen at a clinic.”

Seniors will also have a chance to sign up to become a new patient of the centers. Garrett said there is no limit on new patients. Partners in Primary Care will take Aetna and Humana Medicare Advantage plans.

“We are senior-focused,” Garrett said. “About 90 percent of our patients are 65 and up. Others qualified early for Medicare. We encourage people to come in and start the process and complete the intake paperwork.”

Loy said the patients are at the heart of all the Partners in Primary Care facilities.

“It’s designed very specifically for seniors,” she said, “from where we locate to the Discovery Experience to the care team. We make it where they can park right in front of the clinic. We have nonslip floors and special scales they can get on with a walker or wheelchair. We have on-site labs. It’s a one-stop shop without having to go to a bunch of different places.”

Partners in Primary Care is one of the fastest-growing senior-focused, valuebased care providers in the country, according to a news release. The centers in Shreveport and Bossier City will be staffed by board-certified physicians and care teams who have been specially trained to treat the senior population. Care teams include:

• A pharmacist who is embedded in the care model as part of the care team, consulting with patients and physicians to drive optimal drug therapy and support quality of care initiatives.

• Registered nurses who serve as care coaches to help patients navigate their chronic disease care plans.

• Social workers who consult on social services and other behavioral health needs.

• Referral specialists who help schedule specialist visits and assist with record transfers.

• A community center that offers free health and fitness programming, games and wellness activities that are open to anyone in the community with a goal to help seniors stay active and form social circles.

• Partnerships with the local communitybased organizations such as food banks, churches and community organizations to support patients’ social and well-being needs.

Loy calls it a “high-touch model” that sets Partners in Primary Care apart from other facilities.

“We recognize that as they age, they have different medical and financial needs,” Loy said. “We give them more time with their provider. With other providers, they may get 10 or 15 minutes. We give longer visits so they can go to their history. It’s important for the patients to trust us.”

Partners is taking every precaution to keep visitors healthy. The COVID-19 Prevention Standards established for its centers will be in effect for the mall Discovery Experience: temperature check, social distancing, masks provided, hand sanitizer and refreshments in boxed containers.

In line with Partners’ commitment to the community’s well-being and support of post-Hurricane Laura recovery needs, visitors are invited to drop off new, non-perishable food items and new, unwrapped toiletries at Partners’ Discovery Experience Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Partners will distribute all items collected to local charities.

Garrett said the patient-centered approach makes a difference.

“When we come in community, we want to make an impact,” he said. “Dr. Loy and the team do an excellent job. It’s that personal touch that makes a difference.”

For more information on Partners in Primary Care centers in other states, visit www.PartnersInPrimaryCare.com.