“The members that we serve fall through the cracks of the health care system,” said Dr. Greg Foti, chief medical officer of AbsoluteCare. “Much of this population is extremely vulnerable, living in marginalized neighborhoods, and access to care can be very limited in those neighborhoods.”
The new center, at 1435 Cincinnati St. in Dayton, features primary care, urgent care and a mental health care space in addition to behavioral health consultants, psychologists and a pharmacy.
A lounge offer members a place to have lunch or come in from the outside. Members are welcome to use the lounge any time during business hours regardless of whether or not they have appointments.
“We want to create an inclusive community,” AbsoluteCare CEO Michael Radu said.
The center was serving more than 1,500 members at its October grand opening, with plans to double that over the next two years.
According to AbsoluteCare, 14% of its members have an unstable housing condition, 28% have food insecurity, and 60% have ben diagnosed with a substance abuse issue. Its average member has more than 13 diagnoses and takes more than 10 medications.
The Cincinnati Street center was AbsoluteCare’s fourth location in Ohio. It opened its fifth in Cincinnati days later.
In 2022, AbsoluteCare partnered with Dayton-based CareSource to expand into Ohio, opening first in Cleveland and Columbus.
In January, the companies plan to launch a program called Next Generation, designed to serves members who are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
AbsoluteCare, founded in Atlanta in 2000 to focus on treating members with HIV/AIDS, provides value-based and need-based care to vulnerable and clinically complex populations through integrated medical and social support.
CareSource is Dayton’s largest nonprofit organization with annual revenues of more than $11 billion and more than 4,700 employees including about 1,000 in the Dayton region. CareSource offers services in 14 states, servicing mostly Medicaid managed care and Marketplace members, as well as covering some who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
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