by Mary Rupert
A new primary care office for seniors has opened at the West State Plaza at 7527 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
The new Partners in Primary Care office, located next to Westlake Hardware store, is a nationwide provider group owned by Humana that focuses care completely on seniors, said Kate Blackmon, vice president of strategy for expansion markets for Partners in Primary Care. The office is holding a grand opening today, with an open house and tours.
“Our business is all seniors,” she said. “Seniors are unfortunately an undercared-for group of folks that should be thought of as a blessing. As you age, your care needs change.”
She said the doctors and staff with the new primary care office plan to spend more time with seniors than the typical five to seven minutes they may receive at other doctors’ offices.
“Seniors need more time,” she said. “Our first visits are typically 40 minutes.”
Without that time spent initially with seniors, they’re not able to make an appropriate diagnosis, she said. Partners in Primary Care also works with the patient’s specialists, with hospitals and nursing homes, and with caregivers, she said.
Preventive care is an important part of Partners in Primary Care, she said.
The new facility at 75th and State will include a pharmacy in house, she said, and they will meet with the patients to discuss prescriptions and nutrition.
The new office also is set up for telemedicine, she said. If a specialty is hard to find, they will try to locate one through telemedicine. If there are a number of patients who need a cardiologist, for example, one may visit this location occasionally in the future. Those visits by specialists are not currently scheduled at the office, but may be added sometime in the future according to the need, she added.
The facility, which has been completely renovated, also includes a lab, infusion rooms, telemedicine rooms, and examination rooms with high to low tables, she said.
There will be a care coach who will meet with patients and their families, she said.
A unique feature of this office is a community center room that can be used by patients and the community, she added. There may be a movie night, bingo, exercise classes, cooking demonstrations for healthy cooking, and people will be able to come to the community center room even if they are not patients, she added.
Partners in Primary Care will be participating in community events, being a sponsor at events throughout the community, she added.
Offices for Partners in Primary Care also are in Independence, Mo., Midtown Kansas City, Mo., and Olathe, Kansas, and in other cities, she said. All of the centers are around 8,000 to 9,000 square feet, she added.
Partners in Primary Care is owned by Humana and will be accepting insurance from other carriers as well, including Aetna, Cigna, and Medicare, with other carriers to be added in the future, she said.
