It’s no secret that primary care works—that it leads to better value, better care, and a better experience for consumers. So why don’t more people use primary care providers (PCPs)?

Our thesis? A great primary care provider doesn’t solve for everything.

Even the best PCPs are still stuck inside of a system plagued by issues of access, cost, capacity‚ and a model that’s fundamentally transactional—the exact opposite of how primary care is designed to flourish.

Now here’s the part where we tell you about how Harbor Health is different.

To us, health is a team sport.

The founders of Harbor Health  believe that great health comes, in part, through great relationships with the people who care for us.

That’s why, from day one, every Harbor Health client is matched with a personalized Health Team—a dedicated group of health experts determined by their unique health journey and needs.

·        Primary care providers  

·        Specialists

·        Pharmacists

·        Health Coaches[MOU2] 

Whether it’s weight loss, chronic condition management, or having someone on deck for an annual exam or common cold, every client at Harbor Health is supported by the right experts—in an environment designed to create an abundance of health through the power of real, human relationships.

So where does the PCP come in?

In the Harbor Health model, every practitioner is a key player, but our model makes the PCP the “captain” of the Health Team.

True to the “traditional” PCP-patient relationship, it’s still a Harbor Health provider’s job to:

·        Be the expert on clients’ health history and goals

·        Be the first point of contact when care needs arise

·        Manage care holistically—including preventive screenings, specialty needs, chronic conditions, and more

·        Get clients to the right treatment quickly and efficiently

·        Coordinate care inside and outside of Harbor Health

Each of these responsibilities contribute to the end goal of bringing value to patients, to payers, and to the health system more broadly.

But wait, there’s more!

Why are we so passionate about the Health Team model?

Because the Health Team approach delivers the longitudinal, relational experience that a PCP offers—regardless of whether they designate a Harbor Health clinician as their primary care provider. Plus, a whole lot more.

Our model supports:

·        Holistic care.
Ever wonder why we’re called Harbor Health? It’s because we want our clients to know: Co-creating health begins with what you harbor: Your hopes, fears and more are all important here. From day one, we want to know our clients and everything that health means to them. We get deep here!

·        Relational care.
Because we ask the deep questions—and because our clients see and talk with the same provider(s) every time they interact with Harbor Health, our clients know who to call (or text, or e-visit with) when they’re sick. And that’s an important first step in staying well.  

·        Affordable care.
Here, we love to say that health is pursued, not prescribed. Each of our clients are on a health journey co-created alongside their Health Team. With a deep understanding of clients’ needs and goals, clinicians use data to identify the smartest, most cost-effective care pathways, period. This is how we keep costs down and health up.  

·        Guided care.
Being a Harbor Health client means never having to figure it all out on your own. If clients need specialty care, their Health Team will provide it directly, or find someone who can. They’ll make the calls, set up connections, and follow up afterward. After all, we did say that health is a team sport!

And one last benefit we’re really into?

Rave-worthy care doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of passionate providers working together to help clients flourish. At Harbor Health, it’s not just our clients who have a team they can trust—our providers do, too. Healthcare may be a calling, but it’s also hard work. Through a model built for collaboration, we’re doing our best to support our providers in delivering the type of care they truly set out give.

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