Brad Smith, an entrepreneur and former director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation during the Trump administration, is starting a new company focused on delivering healthcare in rural America.
The company, Main Street Health, will focus on partnerships with rural primary care providers, urgent care clinics, and independent pharmacies in order to better serve Tennessee residents.
According to the group’s website, the organization is a “value-based healthcare company.” Its goal is to “reinvent” rural healthcare.
“My mom’s family is from rural East Tennessee and my wife’s family is from rural Alabama, and we have both experienced first-hand how much opportunity exists to improve access and the quality of healthcare in rural America,” Smith said of his desire to start the new organization.
Through its Extra Access program, the organization will help assist with 24/7 on-demand access to a doctor-led care team and network of high-quality specialists that will coordinate with their primary care provider.
Additionally, seniors will also have access to same-day prescription refills and an annual comprehensive assessment
“We are optimistic that our efforts will create a scalable way to revitalize and reimagine healthcare across rural America,” he continued in an emailed statement.
The program will focus its initial efforts across West Tennessee — focusing on 30 locations across the region. Main Street Health will serve more than 59,000 Medicare patients.
Serving on the board of the organization will be former Tennessee U.S. Senator Bill Frist. Frist served as a physician in the state before running for elected office.
“I have always been passionate about rural healthcare. Main Street Health is one of the first efforts I have seen that is focused exclusively on truly transforming healthcare in rural America,” Frist added.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Telehealth” by Intel Free Press. CC BY-SA 2.0.
