Jefferson Health in Philadelphia launched a virtual primary care program in late 2024 to address one of healthcare’s biggest access challenges: a shortage of primary care appointments.
Less than two years later, the model has become one of the health system’s fastest-growing access points, adding 300 to 500 new patients each month and drawing in patients who previously had no primary care clinician.
Unlike traditional telehealth visits, Jefferson’s program assigns patients to a dedicated physician or advanced practice clinician who manages a full panel of patients through a fully virtual primary care practice. The model is designed to deliver the same longitudinal, relationship-based care as a traditional clinic, including preventive care, chronic disease management and specialist referrals.
“We really wanted to address two different versions of access,” Anna Flattau, MD, chair of primary care at Jefferson Health, told Becker’s. “There simply isn’t enough primary care capacity, and we needed a way to grow rapidly in a way that wasn’t limited by physical buildings.”
In traditional practices, primary care clinicians maintain patient panels that eventually reach capacity, limiting how many new patients can be added. By contrast, a virtual model allows the health system to expand access by hiring additional clinicians as panels fill.
Jefferson’s approach also differs from virtual urgent care services, which focus on one-time visits for immediate issues.
“The definition of primary care is that you have a panel of patients and an ongoing relationship over time,” Dr. Flattau said. “Virtual urgent care is very helpful, but it’s focused on solving a problem that day. Virtual primary care is comprehensive.”
The health system designed the program to operate with the same clinical standards and expectations as its traditional primary care practices. Clinicians follow the same quality dashboards and population health measures used across Jefferson’s broader primary care network.
“We hold ourselves to the same standards,” Dr. Flattau said. “Everything we do in a traditional practice, we do in our virtual practice.”
Early adoption data suggests strong patient interest when the option is made available. Every patient who contacts Jefferson to establish primary care, whether by phone, website or referral, is asked whether they prefer a traditional or virtual primary care appointment.
About 9% of new primary care patients choose the virtual model, according to Dr. Flattau. Among patients younger than 45, that number rises to approximately 13%.
In one internal analysis of about 36,000 new patients seeking primary care, more than 3,200 chose the virtual option.
While marketing campaigns and social media outreach help raise awareness, Dr. Flattau said the program’s growth has largely been driven by offering patients the choice during the intake process.
“That universal question has created a steady pipeline,” she said.
The program’s rapid growth has required Jefferson to continuously hire experienced clinicians to maintain timely access. The health system aims to offer new patient appointments within two to three days and typically keeps wait times within a week.
Unlike physical clinics, where space constraints can limit expansion, the virtual model allows Jefferson to scale access by adding clinicians as demand grows.
Early data also suggests the program is reaching a broader and more complex patient population than some may expect.
“We’re seeing patients across the entire age spectrum,” Dr. Flattau said.
While patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s represent the largest group — often seeking care during busy working or child-rearing years — the program has also attracted patients in their 50s, 60s and 70s. One patient enrolled in the model is 102 years old.
The health system has also found that patients enrolling in virtual primary care frequently present with significant unmet health needs.
“We’re seeing a lot of uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes and asthma,” Dr. Flattau said. “Many of these patients didn’t previously have a primary care physician.”
Those patients often enter the broader Jefferson system through the program. As primary care clinicians identify additional needs, they connect patients to specialists, diagnostic testing and other services across the health system.
The model also integrates behavioral health, substance use treatment, lifestyle medicine and care coordination services, all of which can be delivered virtually.
Jefferson has also examined the socioeconomic distribution of patients using the program. By mapping patient addresses to neighborhood income data, the health system found adoption across the entire socioeconomic spectrum.
“There’s sometimes a myth that virtual care is mainly used by highly educated or wealthy patients,” Dr. Flattau said. “What we’re seeing is adoption across both the highest-income and lowest-income neighborhoods.”
For many patients, convenience appears to be a key driver. Virtual visits allow people to connect with clinicians from workplaces, cars or homes without taking significant time away from work or family responsibilities.
Looking ahead, Dr. Flattau said she believes virtual primary care could eventually represent a meaningful portion of overall primary care delivery.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this reaches 20% over time,” she said.
But one of the most significant opportunities may lie in reaching patients who previously were not engaged in care at all.
“There’s a whole population of people who simply weren’t getting primary care because they couldn’t access it,” Dr. Flattau said. “This model is giving them a way to connect with a physician and build that ongoing relationship.”
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