CLEVELAND, Ohio — A national network of primary care clinics focused exclusively on seniors is expanding rapidly into Greater Cleveland, offering a model of health care that rewards prevention over procedures.
ArchWell Health, founded in 2021, opened its first local centers this fall in Parma, Brook Park, Eastlake and Maple Heights. Another was set to open this week in Westlake, with four more coming soon to Cleveland Heights, Euclid and two Cleveland neighborhoods — Lorain Avenue and Kinsman Road.
ArchWell’s healthcare model emphasizes wellness and social determinates of health when treating its patients, who are people 60 and up who use Medicare Advantage.
Like ArchWell’s focus on wellness, integrative health looks at the whole person and factors that may be influencing their health, such as lifestyle, genetics, behaviors and beliefs, said Dr. Victoria Maize, executive director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, and a professor of medicine, family medicine, and public health at the University of Arizona.
Maize is board certified in integrative medicine, which is especially important for seniors.
Physicians who practice integrative medicine make recommendations based not only on conventional medicine, but also factors such as sleep, stress and exposure to environmental chemicals, Maize said.
As people age, behaviors have a significant effect on how well they age and how long they live, she said. Social connections and muscle strength are some behaviors that affect the health of older Americans.
A 1960s study that tracked adults in California asked them about whether they smoked and if they exercise and whether they were at a healthy weight, how much they slept and how much alcohol they drank. Strong social connections were found to influence longevity, she said.
Research has shown that many Americans are lonely. “That is an important factor that’s often left out of when we look at people and take care of them,” Maize said.
A 2023 advisory titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy emphasized the severe health risks associated with social isolation and loneliness. Lacking social connection increases the risk of premature death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes daily, Murthy said.
As we age, our bodies naturally use muscle. Physicians are beginning to access patients’ muscle strength through a series of questions about the difficulty of carrying 10 pounds, walking, rising from a chair and climbing stairs.
Muscle strength involves exercise and eating the right amount of healthy protein, such as from fish, poultry and legumes, Maize said. Protein requirements change as people age.
ArchWell targets area’s aging population
Staying healthy and avoiding hospital stays are what ArchWell Health is about.
The healthcare company, which operates more than 70 clinics in 11 states, plans to reach 100 by early 2026. Six of its Cleveland-area sites are repurposed former retail buildings, such as Rite Aid, CVS and Save-A-Lot stores.
ArchWell Health targets patients are people 60 and older enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. Its mission — and business model — is to keep them healthy, independent and out of hospitals. The company is built on what’s known as value-based care, where providers are paid for outcomes rather than the number of services performed.
“If we keep people out of the hospital and out of the ER, keep them healthy and doing well, then in this business model we actually do well financially,” said Dr. Don Goddard, ArchWell’s president and national director of primary care. He is not related to the late Cleveland weatherman Dick Goddard.
Under this approach, ArchWell receives Medicare reimbursement based on how many hospitalizations the government expects its patients to have in a year. If hospital visits are lower than expected, ArchWell keeps the remaining funds. “You don’t do well in this business unless your patients are doing well,” Goddard said.
The clinics’ design reflects that philosophy. Instead of sterile exam rooms and long waits, ArchWell centers look and feel more like community gathering spaces. Patients — called “members” — can stop by for bingo, karaoke, movie days or adult coloring. The social atmosphere combats loneliness, a major health risk for older adults, while allowing staff to spot potential problems early.
At the Maple Heights clinic, which has nearly 50 members, staff recently helped a patient secure a long-delayed nebulizer after repeated emergency room visits for breathing issues. With her medication finally accessible, the patient can now focus on managing her diabetes, said Misha Fuller, the clinic’s manager. “Something so small can make a huge difference,” she said.
Fuller said caregivers are now prioritizing flu and COVID-19 vaccinations as respiratory virus season begins. “This is the most rewarding work — keeping people healthy and out of the hospital, and helping extend their life spans,” Fuller said.
Cuyahoga County’s aging population underscores the need for such clinics. The share of residents 65 and older rose from 15.5% in 2010 to 19.6% in 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. ArchWell typically seeks out neighborhoods with large senior populations but too few primary care doctors.
Each ArchWell care team includes physicians, nurses, case managers and social workers who coordinate everything from transportation and nutrition to managing chronic diseases. Appointments can last from 20 to 60 minutes — far longer than the national average of 18 minutes, according to a 2023 study. Physicians personally call patients who fall ill or are hospitalized, and every discharged patient is expected back in the office within three days.
“We’re trying to take care of seniors with a lot of needs,” Goddard said. “To keep them healthy and out of the hospital, we have to address everything that’s affecting their health.”
Goddard is a Northeast Ohio native who previously practiced in Chardon and served as an administrator at University Hospitals.
Similar networks — including Oak Street Health, part of CVS Health, and ChenMed — have also bet on value-based care for older adults. Oak Street operates at least four Cleveland-area locations, while ChenMed has clinics in Maple Heights and Columbus.
For ArchWell, profitability depends on prevention. Most patients, Goddard said, appreciate the extra attention — though a few occasionally tire of all the check-ins.
“They’ll say, ‘I don’t need to be called all the time,’ because we’re always checking in,” he said. “But the majority love all the attention they get and the follow-up we do on their medical needs.”
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