Healthcare System Overview

An In-Depth Look into the Healthcare System

A Different Kind of Healthcare Organization

Premise Health is not a hospital system. It is not a traditional medical group. It is the nation's largest direct healthcare company, operating more than 800 wellness centers in 46 states that fundamentally reimagine how primary care is delivered. With more than 60 years of experience and over 6,500 team members nationwide, Premise Health has built a model that prioritizes what traditional healthcare often neglects: time with patients, continuity of care, and physician satisfaction.

The Baldwin, Georgia clinic where you will practice represents this model in action. Rather than serving a revolving door of community patients, you will care for a defined population of employees from the facility's sponsoring employer. This stability creates something rare in modern medicine: actual relationships with patients. You will know their histories, their families, their challenges. They will know you. The transactional nature of high-volume primary care simply does not exist here.

Organizational History and Structure

Premise Health traces its origins to 1964, when its first onsite wellness center opened in New York City. The company in its current form was established in 2014 through the merger of CHS Health Services and Take Care Employer Services. Since then, Premise has grown through strategic acquisitions including eHealthScreenings (2017), CareHere (2020), and Sonic Boom Wellness (2021). The organization is backed by OMERS Private Equity, which acquired Premise in 2018.

  • Founded in 2014 from merger of CHS Health Services and Take Care Employer Services
  • Origins dating to 1964 with first onsite wellness center in New York City
  • 800+ wellness centers across 46 states
  • 6,500+ team members nationwide
  • Backed by OMERS Private Equity since 2018
  • Headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee

Executive Leadership

Premise Health is led by an experienced executive team with deep expertise in healthcare operations, technology, and growth strategy.

  • Stu Clark, Chief Executive Officer: CEO since Premise Health's founding in 2014, with more than 20 years of executive experience in the direct healthcare industry. Under his leadership, Premise has focused on clinical quality, scale, infrastructure, and technology while building a culture anchored in accountability.
  • Beth Ratliff, Chief Operating Officer: Oversees enterprise integration of business processes, technology, and clinical service delivery. A Nashville Health Care Council Fellow with more than 30 years in healthcare, including 25 years of multi-site operations experience.
  • Shannon Farrington, Chief Financial Officer: Provides corporate and healthcare finance leadership with more than 20 years of experience in onsite health services. Named 2016 CFO of the Year by the Nashville Business Journal.
  • Haden McWhorter, Chief Information Officer: Leads IT strategy and technology with more than 25 years of experience in healthcare and technology. Named 2019 CIO of the Year by the Greater Nashville Technology Council.
  • Joey Johnson, Chief Information Security Officer: 15 years supporting Premise Health with responsibility for security operations across 6,500+ team members and 800+ sites. Former chief security officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Computer Services.
  • Elizabeth Reimer, Chief Human Resources Officer: Leads overall HR strategy with more than 24 years of progressive HR experience in healthcare.
  • Ben Miller, Chief Revenue Officer: Drives growth strategy, sales, and business development with more than 20 years in healthcare, including previous roles at Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.
  • Derek Brochu, Chief Strategy and Development Officer: Oversees corporate strategy, enterprise product, partnerships, and corporate development.
  • William Wright, General Counsel: More than 20 years of experience in healthcare law, previously served as chief legal officer at The Little Clinic.

Advanced Primary Care Model

Premise Health has developed what it calls "advanced primary care," a comprehensive approach that integrates primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy, care management, and care navigation into a single coordinated system. This model expands beyond traditional primary care to address the whole person, including mental health and social factors that influence health outcomes.

The approach is built on AAAHC-accredited patient-centered medical home principles but goes further. Your clinical decisions will be supported by data insights that help identify care gaps, manage chronic conditions, and coordinate specialist referrals. You will have visibility into your patients' complete care journeys, not just the fragments that occur in your exam room.

  • AAAHC-accredited patient-centered medical home model
  • Integrated primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy, and care management
  • Data-driven insights delivered to providers for actionable decision-making
  • Care Navigation support for specialist referrals and coordination
  • HITRUST CSF Certified electronic health record for data security
  • HEDIS scores significantly above national averages

Proven Outcomes

Premise Health's model delivers measurable results. In a validated claims-based analysis of over 207,000 eligible lives across 26 organizations, Premise demonstrated a 30% average reduction in total cost of care compared to community healthcare. This is not achieved by rationing care or rushing patients through visits. It is achieved by investing in primary care, catching problems early, managing chronic conditions proactively, and keeping people out of emergency rooms and hospitals.

  • 30% average total cost of care savings for attributed members
  • 52% reduction in inpatient hospital admissions
  • 17% reduction in emergency room visits
  • 20% increase in routine, preventive, and mental health office visits
  • Results validated by Milliman, an independent actuarial firm

Workplace Culture and Recognition

Premise Health has earned recognition as one of the best places to work in healthcare. The organization's culture emphasizes respect, accountability, and quality, supported by a fee-for-value environment that allows physicians to focus on patient outcomes rather than production metrics.

  • Great Place to Work Certified
  • Fortune Best Places to Work in Health Care
  • Tennessean Top Workplaces
  • Top Military Friendly Employer and Military Friendly Spouse Employer
  • VETS Indexes 5-Star Employer
  • Military Times Best for Vets: Employers

Technology and Information Security

The organization has invested heavily in technology infrastructure and information security. Premise maintains the largest and most sophisticated InfoSec team in the direct healthcare industry. The electronic health record has achieved HITRUST CSF Certified status, the highest standard for protecting sensitive health information. You will work with systems that are secure, reliable, and designed to support rather than burden your clinical practice.

Joining Premise Health means joining an organization that has figured out how to make primary care work for both patients and physicians. The fee-for-value model removes the pressure to see more patients faster. The integrated care team handles coordination and chronic disease management. The technology works. And the culture genuinely supports the people who deliver care. This is healthcare operating the way it should.

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