A startup called Atria Health offers an alternative private capital model to help cardiology practices to be independent. The company emphasizes that it invests, but does not possess, independent practices.
Backed by Cypress Ridge Capital, Atria Health said it provides its medical partners with a set of resources, infrastructure and support services that train doctors to practice the way they imagine.
The business model is designed to ensure that doctors retain control, receive terms of fair agreement and maintain shared capital in their growing company, said Atria.
A national launch is following a collaboration with Ams Cardiology, a cardiovascular practice in the Philadelphia area. As part of the association, Atria built a new outpatient surgery center that performs low -risk outpatient procedures such as diagnostic cardiac catheterizations, coronary interventions, electrophysiological procedures and more. The installation also includes nuclear tests, cardiac images and intensive cardiac rehabilitation services, all in an outpatient location.
In an email of questions and answers, Matthew Eakins, MD, CEO and co -founder of Atria Health, discussed the origins of the company and the market opportunity.
Health innovation: What are some of the challenges that cardiology practices have had to remain independent?
Eakins: In 2008, 90% of cardiologists were independent, but that was reduced to 16% in 2018. Independent cardiology practices face huge challenges: operational and technical complexities, administrative and regulatory charges, as well as financial strains and unsustainable costs.
HCI: How does the joint business model between ATRIA and practices work?
Eakins: We do not have practices. Instead, Atria Health forms a long -term association with a property practice and led by a doctor. This allows us to invest capital, capacities and ability to support the practice in their vision for the growth and service of patients. Our approach is to create new service lines based on value together. These new services provide attention to patients in the community and provide exceptional experiences of the patient, as well as better health results, all about half of the total cost.
HCI: What is the company’s history of origin? Was it created by cardiologists?
Eakins: Yes. Already in 2020, we identified the opportunity in Cardiology, but took our first partner in practice, the cardiology of AMS, to really refine the model and ensure that we can execute in collaboration. We have been working with them in recent years to show that the model works.
We all had deep and personal experiences in Cardiology, most of life like mine, while I saw my dad saved by modern medicine and a quintuple Cabg [coronary artery bypass graft]. But the trend dismayed the tendency towards employee doctors and the impact it can have on patient care, but also to the doctors themselves. Medicine is a vocation of patient service, but too many doctors are suffering from exhaustion. We believe that this moral injury is a consequence of the employment model driven by loss of autonomy.
We design atria to be the unique alternative. We imagine an association for independent cardiovascular practices that delivered empowerment, not employment.
HCI: Can you name some other cardiology practices with which Auria works in addition to AMS?
Eakins: Ams Cardiology is the inaugural practice of Atria. We have used the last two years to improve the model and build the capabilities to deliver. We have several more throughout the country that we are excited to announce in the short term.
HCI: What are some characteristics of the platform or model enabled for Atria technology that helps unlock the opportunity of the cardiac care market for practice partners?
Eakins: Being founded recently gave us the unique opportunity to build all our infrastructure using 2025 technology. We are not loaded by decades of “technological debt”, but offer innovation immediately. A couple of examples include our generative application and large language models. Working with partners, we have created and implemented clinical tools to support the decision. Our doctors are taking advantage of these tools to improve quality and close the gap in care. We make sure that each patient has access to the diagnoses and the attention they require.
HCI: On the website of Atria, he says they are forming a network of independent practices that can learn from each other. Can you share some examples of how practice partners are collaborating to share best practices?
Eakins: We believe that the best ideas come from doctors organically. Either in structured environments such as the National Board of Clinical Government or the quality committees or informally through our common platform and consultations “on a sidewalk” with their peers. Doctors in the Atria network benefit from expert pairs in which they can trust, either for clinical or commercial issues. A great example could be to administer conscious sedation. For a cardiologist who has spent his career in the hospital environment with teams and teams of people, they may not feel comfortable managing in an outpatient environment. Doctors who are well trained with years of experience help teach and supervise other partners as they advance care.
