About Key Physicians
Welcome to Key Physicians, the premier Independent Physician Association serving the Triangle of North Carolina and beyond since 1994. Key Physicians is a community-based group of independent medical professionals dedicated to the highest-quality care delivered at optimum value.
Based on the concepts of Patient Centered Medical Home, Key brings together over 240 primary care physicians, with specialists, urgent care centers, and hospitals to deliver a coordinated and collaborative experience for our members.
What does it mean to be a patient in the Key Physicians network?
Healthcare in the United States is changing, and its about time. The cost and quality of care in general across the country have been at odds with one another: the cost has been increasing while access to the highest-quality care has been decreasing. That’s why Key Physicians exists, to provide our patients and communities with higher quality care at a lower total cost.
An exciting concept in healthcare – called “Patient Centered Medical Home” – puts the patient in the center of healthcare. A primary care physician – a member of the Key Physicians network – acts as your “care manager,” coordinating referrals to specialists, treatment plans, and transitions of care. In addition, Key works with value based care partners to provide care management and patient advocacy support, helping our patients stay healthy and best manage any chronic conditions.
The benefits of the Key Physicians network for patients include:
- Better care collaboration: Key Physicians’ ~370 clinicians partner with specialists across the Triangle to ensure a consistent flow of information between the physicians you see. Collaboration between physicians is just part of the patient care experience, helping ensure your physicians always have the complete picture of your health.
- A true partnership with your physician: Traditional models of patient care are called “episodic” – meaning you interact with your physician when you are sick or need care. They Key model of patient care utilizes a physician led team to help patients manage their health on an ongoing basis. We also know what works. Wellness visits are shown to improve health outcomes and reduce costs by helping us engage patients in the behaviors that improve their health outcome.
- Enhanced access to after-hours care: Access to care is a critically important to Key Physicians. Throughout the Triangle and beyond, Key Physicians practices are available for their patients at convenient times. Some practices serve a lot of early birds are are open before dawn. Some practices need to be available for patients that have new health concerns that appear during the day or late afternoon. We all know that disruptive Saturday or Sunday illness, and there’s probably a Key practice close by that can help. Having access to a primary care clinician avoids trips to the emergency room and urgent care centers, and saves patients time and money.
- More accurate, timely care management through technology: Key’s physicians use secure technology solutions like Electronic Health Records, e-Prescribing, and Electronic Referrals better manages patient care. Because records are stored securely online, they are always up-to-date, complete, and accessible to clinicians and patients when needed.
- More choice: Key Physicians is an independent organization, not affiliated with any hospitals or health systems. It’s an “open network,” and patients can choose the primary care and specialty physicians that best meet their needs. When patients are in the driver’s seat, the healthcare system wins!
As a member of the Key Physicians, practices and patients benefit from adaptation to the evolving healthcare marketplace.