Physicians in Southeast Ohio Bring Home the “House Call”

Cambridge, OH (Mar 31, 2022) – When Drs. Mark and Patrick Goggin’s grandfather started a rural, southeastern Ohio primary care practice in 1930, the doctor “house call” was a common practice. He would bring his black bag to treat patients in their homes any time of day -- even staying overnight when necessary. Following in their grandfather’s footsteps, the Goggin brothers, who are partners at Medical Associates of Cambridge, are now bringing back house calls to homebound seniors with chronic health conditions.

In rural Southeast Ohio, many elderly adults have limited transportation options or are too sick to come to the office. The house call idea developed because the physician practice found it was difficult to give some of their patients the time and attention they need. The issue was exacerbated by the COVID-19 quarantine when older adults were afraid to leave their homes for fear of exposure to the virus. In fact, the CDC reports that four out of 10 U.S. adults postponed or delayed routine medical care such as annual wellness visits and screenings.

Realizing the need to partner with an outside company to transform their healthcare model, Medical Associates of Cambridge, joined forces with agilon health, an organization that empowers physicians to transform community health. Under the Goggins’ leadership, the practice transitioned to value-based care, a new model of healthcare that puts doctors in the driver’s seat of patient outcomes so they can care for the whole patient not just the disease.

With the help of agilon health, Medical Associates of Cambridge adopted a care management program deploying social workers and nurses to call chronically ill patients at home, check their vitals, fulfill medication requests, and ensure all needs are being met. In addition, they developed a Home Care program in which Dylan Eubanks, CNP, a nurse practitioner with experience in-home visits and Palliative Care, makes house calls to care for their most vulnerable patients. As a result of their Care Management team, Home Care program, and other new programs that promote value-based care, the Goggin brothers and their long-term partner, Doug Rush, MD are proud to admit that around 90% of their senior patients are now getting annual wellness exams.

About Medical Associates of Cambridge

Medical Associates of Cambridge has been serving Cambridge and the surrounding communities for more than 90 years. The doctors and staff share a common vision of helping the people of our community enjoy longer, healthier, and more productive lives. We offer an uncompromising level of care to our patients in our office and during hospitalization. We are committed to meeting all the preventative, acute, and chronic medical needs of our patients.

About agilon health

agilon health is the trusted partner empowering physicians to transform community health. Through our partnerships and purpose-built platform, agilon is accelerating at scale how physician groups transition to a value-based, Total Care Model. agilon provides the technology, people, capital, and process and access to a peer network that allows physician groups to maintain their independence and focus on the entire health of their most vulnerable patients. Together, agilon and its physician partners are creating the healthcare system we need – one built on the value of care, not the volume of fees. The result: healthier communities, and empowered doctors. agilon is the trusted partner in 17 diverse communities and is here to help more of our nation’s best physician groups and health systems have a sustained, thriving future. For more information go to www.agilonhealth.com and connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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