State of Franklin Healthcare Associates – Putting the patient first since 1998

Since opening its doors in 1998, State of Franklin Healthcare Associates (SOFHA) has grown steadily, deliberately and with purpose.

The physician-owned primary care group now boasts over 1,200 team members, including more than 140 physicians, and cares for more than 150,000 patients across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

What sets SoFHA apart from other care groups in the area? Its practices are recognized as Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) practices by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of care that places patients at the forefront of care and builds better relationships between people and their clinical care teams, which improves quality, the patient experience, and staff satisfaction while reducing health care costs.

The above attributes are essential to SOFHA’s tremendous success and growth over the past 25 years. Its culture of putting the patient first and prioritizing their best interests — instead of focusing on only what may be best for the business — has proven tremendously effective.

Traditionally, SOFHA’s approach to growth has been slow and steady, a winning strategy thus far. While it has no interest in changing that formula, the organization is continually searching for ways to improve patient access to high-quality and affordable care. SOFHA consistently adds personnel, incorporates new services, and opens new facilities — all intending to improve patient care while also employing a conservative approach financially.

“We take a very measured approach, but we aren’t standing still,” said SOFHA CEO Rob Slattery regarding growth. “We recognize that health care is changing. Our mission, vision, and values guide us as we set out to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve, one patient at a time.”

Growth isn’t just about numbers. When SOFHA determines a need for added services, it actively and swiftly searches for solutions. For instance:

• Medication adherence is crucial for patients living with chronic diseases. SOFHA has invested in clinical pharmacists to aid primary care physicians in educating patients about their prescribed medications.

• Social workers, home visit members and other personnel have been added as needed over the years to ensure quality care for SOFHA patients.

• To reduce the amount of time that patients have to wait on critical imaging results, SOFHA introduced an Imaging Center that cuts waiting times for results and appointments.

• SOFHA has invested considerable time customizing its electronic health records system to handle the thousands of monthly telehealth visits better.

SOFHA has dozens of clinics throughout the region, located in Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, Elizabethton, Greeneville, and Newport in Tennessee, and Gate City and Nickelsville in Virginia, to serve its many patients.

SOFHA recently opened its second Comprehensive Breast Center (CBC) in Kingsport. The new center is designed for comfort and privacy to ensure an optimum experience for the patient in a calming and spa-like atmosphere. The CBC uses state-of-the-art technology, including 3D mammograms and breast ultrasound, to detect breast cancer at its earliest stages. It also offers genetic testing, biopsies, and bone density studies.

The health care organization is also adding Foot and Ankle Specialists, led by Dr. Philip “Jay” Riley, an experienced podiatrist who has been practicing in Johnson City for many years. The clinic is slated for an early April opening.

Taking a measured approach to growth has been paramount to the success of SOFHA. Slattery doesn’t see that philosophy changing.

“In terms of growth, we will continue to employ the same business model that has served State of Franklin Healthcare Associates so well since 1998,” he said. “We have and will continue to evolve as a physician-owned and physician-led system of health care. When the need arises, and there are opportunities to grow, we will always do what is best for our patients as meeting their needs is our top priority.”

To learn more about State of Franklin Healthcare associates, visit https://sofha.net/

This article originally appeared on https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/

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