New Survey Shows Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC) Physician Satisfaction Rivals Consumer Loyalty to Beloved Corporate Brands

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when primary care physicians are increasingly disgruntled about their work environment and physician burnout reaches an all-time high, the physicians at Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC) are more satisfied and loyal than customers of some of the nation's most beloved corporations. 

A recent survey of COPC physicians showed their Net Promoter Score of 85* is higher than Apple and Southwest Airlines. In fact, the only constituents who appear to be more loyal than COPC physicians are the owners of a Tesla automobile.

But for most primary care physicians the picture isn't so rosy. An editorial published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reported burnout rates ranging from 30 to 65 percent across specialties, with the highest rates incurred by physicians at the front line of care, such as emergency medicine and primary care. And a survey of 950 primary care physicians conducted by MDVIP revealed 83 percent of doctors say they wish they had more time with their patients.

COPC's journey to creating happier physicians started with a culture shifting from fee-for-service to value based care, a model used in every aspect of their practice.  In addition, COPC management, including hands-on CEO Dr. Bill Wulf, points to the other reasons why his group's physicians are happier at work:

• Physicians have always been involved in COPC's decision-making process, as 80% of our physicians are shareholders. One physician representative from each of our practices attends a monthly advisory committee meeting.
• COPC has also entered into a long-term partnership with agilon health to enable growth and development of a purpose-built care delivery program for Medicare Advantage patients.

And happy doctors go hand in hand with happy patients. A recent survey of COPC patients' who recently underwent an annual wellness visit confirms their satisfaction.

For 30 years, Vicki Spencer has been getting regular exams from Dr. Henry Sleesman, a COPC internist. "He is an excellent doctor who spends quality time with me," she admits. "He remembers everything about my family and I feel like I can talk to him about anything.  And when I do my annual exams, he calls me back with the results of my blood tests, which are usually negative.  He always goes the extra mile."

"The promise of value-based care is reflected in the satisfaction of COPC physicians," said Dr. Amy Nguyen Howell, chief medical officer at America's Physician Groups.  "It provides them with the tools they need to increase time at the bedside while reducing the burden of paperwork.  By embracing this model, COPC has invested not only in its physicians, but also in the patients and communities they serve."

About Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC)
Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC) is the largest physician-owned primary care medical group in the United States. COPC has over 375 providers and 67 practice locations throughout central Ohio, along with a full-service laboratory, radiology, cardiac testing, physical therapy and hospitalist services, and several first-rate disease management programs.

About agilon health
agilon health of Long Beach, California, a company founded in 2016 by world-class health care leaders, is helping U.S. physicians manage the leap from fee for service to value-based health care.  agilon health has created an operating platform bringing people, process and proprietary technology together in partnership with physicians to take responsibility for total healthcare spend. 

*Net promoter score is index that measures willingness of customers to recommend a company's products or services to others.

SOURCE COPC