Three-year Study of Nearly 60,000 Seniors Confirms Better Primary Care Can Cut Stroke Risk by 22 Percent

Medicare-eligible patients having ChenMed doctors a year or longer have more than a fifth fewer strokes.

ChenMed, a leading provider of primary care for Medicare-eligible seniors, today announced results from a three-year study of nearly 60,000 patients showing 22 percent lower incidence of primary stroke among those having benefitted from a year or more of ChenMed care.  The study (see infographic) compared outcomes for more than 40,500 tenured Chen, Dedicated and JenCare Senior Medical Center patients versus nearly 16,000 newer patients --those having fewer than 12 months of primary care from a ChenMed clinician.

“Strokes are the fifth-leading cause of death in America. So, it’s outstanding news that the affordable VIP care our doctors deliver consistently yields better health outcomes, including an average of 22 percent fewer strokes during the three years following a year or more of medical care from a ChenMed doctor,” says Christopher Chen, M.D., chief executive officer of ChenMed.

“This lifesaving ChenMed difference for seniors living with multiple and complex health challenges is noteworthy. Every year some 800,000 Americans have a stroke, and four out of five strokes are preventable,” adds Dr. Chen, a cardiologist. “Plus, about 50 percent of the patients ChenMed serves are African Americans, for whom the risk of having a first stroke is nearly twice as high as that for white Americans.”

Transforming Care of Neediest Populations

A hyper-growth company, ChenMed operates nearly 100 primary care practices in 12 states and focuses on serving underserved Medicare populations, a group that on average receives less preventive health care than the overall population. Bringing health care to its target population by positioning medical centers in neighborhoods with concentrated numbers of low-income, minority seniors, allows ChenMed to extend preventive care to those who need it the most. 

The company also increases access to preventive care by providing door-to-doctor transportation; by giving patients their doctor’s cell phone number; and by welcoming both same-day and walk-in appointments. ChenMed doctors consistently ask patients to see them as often as needed, averaging monthly visits to annually provide over 10 times more face time with doctor than the national average. And to ensure care continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ChenMed doctors and staff made more than one million “Love Calls” to patients, checking in on them and encouraging preventive screenings and tests.

“Our doctors focus on earning trust and on doing whatever it takes to truly personalize care for each patient year-round,” explains Faisel Syed, M.D., ChenMed National Director of Primary Care.  “By emphasizing preventive care, we better address the leading causes of stroke by better managing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, and smoking, while simultaneously encouraging healthy lifestyle changes including diet, exercise and limiting alcohol consumption.”

About ChenMed

ChenMed, headquartered in Miami, is a privately owned medical, management and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. The company operates nearly 100 senior medical centers in 12 states. Named one of Fortune 2020 “Change the World” companies, ChenMed also was honored by Newsweek as a "Most Loved Workplace" in 2021; and certified as a Best Place to Work® by the Best Place to Work Institute. Bringing concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations, ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center, and JenCare Senior Medical Center.