CENTERS AIM TO SERVE MINORITY COMMUNITIES

the physical demands of hospitality work, Irizarry pointed out.

The locations are not just in neighborhoods where the socioeconomic needs are greatest but sited within short walks of other conveniences — the bustling Tropicana and Pecos intersection also has a Walmart, for example.

Hernandez said systemwide, minorities made up 80% , and more than 85% speak another language besides English. Cultural affinity helps build trust, which leads to better patient outcomes, he said.

Cano has 71 locations in Florida, Nevada and Texas, with plans for more states — Irizarry also oversees efforts in Arizona and New Mexico. The three current Las Vegas locations are among the 18 that have opened nationwide in the past 18 months.

Humana approached Cano about Las Vegas in March 2020, and by July it had dialed in the Tropicana location. The company accelerated its schedule to meet the approaching October Medicare open enrollment deadline; having a roiling COVID-19 pandemic also added urgency, Hernandez said.

Family care physicians can be dangerously overloaded because reimbursements can be low, especially for lower-income patients, Hernandez said. Cano clinicians only see about 15 patients a day. About two-thirds of patients qualify for Medicaid; many are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare.

Hernandez points out established research showing that low-income racial and ethnic minorities have the poorest clinical outcomes and access to care, leading to more costly complications. Treating the underserved under a traditional transactional model — paying per sick visit — doesn’t get traction because of limited financial resources, so Cano flipped to the proactive, flat-fee business model.

“It is incredibly reinforcing to come to work every day and see the impact that you’re having,” Hernandez said. “I describe it as revitalizing entire communities.”