OurHealth continues growth surge, opens more clinics in Cincinnati

OurHealth, a fast-growing Indianapolis firm that provides medical clinics for employers in Indiana and four other states, shows little sign of slowing down.

The 10-year-old company just announced a deal to provide primary care and wellness services to 3,750 government employees and covered dependents of Hamilton County, Ohio, in the Cincinnati area. OurHealth also opened its third clinic in Cincinnati, with plans to open a fourth in nearby Green Township.

OurHealth entered Cincinnati last summer and has already scooped up a few big customers, including First Financial Bank, Rumpke, Advics and Carestar.

What OurHealth does is set up and operate primary-care clinics on or near its customers’ worksites. Doctors, nurses and health coaches help employees create goals for losing weight, managing cholesterol, diabetes and other health issues. The goal is to help employees get healthier and save employers money on health care through fewer claims and lower premiums.

On its website, the company claims to have helped employers save more than $160 million in health care costs by reducing employee emergency room use, redirecting primary care, controlling lab and drug costs, providing independent referrals, and “mitigating the impact of chronic conditions.”

The latest contract, with Hamilton County government, gives OurHealth more momentum to expand, hire more workers and sell its story. The company also has clinics in Indianapolis and Charlotte, North Carolina.

“The momentum is proof that providing cost-effective and convenient care makes a real difference in the health and well-being of our customers’ workforce, while also creating significant cost savings,” CEO Ben Evans said in a statement.

OurHealth was started in 2009 by Evans and his partner, Dr. Jeff Wells. Two years ago, the company announced it had raised $37 million in financing and planned to hire 480 employees in coming years, more than doubling its workforce. Nearly half of the new hires would take place in Indiana, the company said.

The privately held company did not provide an update on its employment and did not disclose revenues.

OurHealth operates clinics in Tennessee, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, in addition to Indiana and Ohio.

In Indiana, big clients include the city of Indianapolis, OneAmerica, Ice Miller LLP and the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

OurHealth said it is confident it can continue to recruit doctors and nurses by pointing out the benefits of the practice structure, which encourages personalized experience for their patients.

“We’re looking for clinicians who want to change the health care conversation by focusing on prevention, spending more time with patients and educating patients about healthier lifestyles,” Evans said. “This is not an urgent care setting; we expect our providers to build relationships with their patients and drive meaningful changes that result in healthier outcomes.”

The company calls itself a “proudly independent health care provider” with no ownership ties or affiliation with any hospital, insurance company or other established care network.