In densely-populated, low-income neighborhoods of Nairobi, Kenya, there is a large need for improved access to healthcare that is affordable, high-quality, and located in a convenient place for communities.
Founded in 2009, LiveWell is a primary healthcare company that uses a “hub-and-spoke” model to serve urban, low-income populations in Nairobi, Kenya. Spoke clinics offer basic healthcare services; several spoke clinics serve each hub clinic, which offer a broader range of services, including primary and lower-level urgent care and lab tests. The hub and spoke clinics are independently owned by nurses and doctors, and receive support services from LiveWell. LiveWell provides the upfront startup capital for a healthcare provider to open a clinic; the provider pays LiveWell back over the course of five years, during which they also are branded as a LiveWell Network clinic and receive back-office support services from LiveWell (including claims processing, referral from spoke to hub clinics, training, quality improvement, and supply chain). After those initial five years, the provider who owns the clinic will pay an annual fee to LiveWell in order to continue to receive back-office support and remain in the Network.
Providing Value to the Patient, Community, and Health System
The Impact:
Improved healthcare and outcomes for low income populations served in the private sector due to Network regulations and enforcement
Increased efficiency of clinic operations due to centralized claims processing, registration and procurement
Improved relationships built with corporate clients through active network management
Increased number of health workers opting to open own clinics within the Network due to ease of clinic start-up
Increased retention of health workers providing quality services in their neighborhoods due to Network business support and sustainability
