Iora Primary Care is open for business for local Senior Citizens

Iora Care is open now
15214 Aurora Ave N
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Iora Primary Care celebrated their grand opening earlier this year and is fully operational at its clinic on Aurora, next to JoAnn Fabric.

lora is unique in several ways. It only treats Senior Citizens who are on Medicare with Humana advantage plans, and it uses a team medical approach that pays attention to its patients, in and out of the clinic. Patients also have access to health classes and healthy social activities.

Rushika Fenandopulle, MD
speaks at the ribbon cutting
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

CEO and co-Founder, primary care doctor Rushika Fenandopulle, MD started Iora in 2010 after working within the current health care system, 

"tinkering with it and getting frustrated by my inability to change it from within. The current system is broken. It is fragmented, inefficient and sometimes inhumane. I know that we can do better for our patients -- both in service and in outcomes -- and that's what we're doing at Iora."

A "health coach" is part of the care team - lending an ear if patients want to talk and following up to make sure they are getting and taking their medications. If the patient misses an appointment, the health coach calls to find out if something is wrong.

The Shoreline clinic is located at 15214 Aurora, in the three storefronts south of JoAnn Fabric. It has easy access to bus lines on Aurora and free parking for those who drive. Phone 206-518-9033.

Shoreline is their second clinic in the Seattle area and their 11th clinic nationally. They partner with a different group in each clinic, depending on the need. Their Las Vegas clinic, for example, partners with the culinary union, which has self-funded medical insurance.

Shoreline Mayor Shari Winstead cuts the ribbon
assisted by Iora staff and executives
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Their model is very successful. Iora patients show measurable gains in health and even with the extra staff, their model is cheaper for the insurance companies because their patients are healthier. They even have data that shows they have been able to virtually eliminate the health discrepancies among races.

Manager Josh Levine says, "Healthier people leads to lower costs thanks to lower rates of specialty care, diagnostic use, ER visits and hospital admissions."

And the unusual name?

Iora is a yellow bird native to Sri Lanka where the CEO and co-Founder Rushika Fenandopulle, MD is from.