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Everside Health Announces Partnership with ATI Physical Therapy to Expand Patient Access to Musculoskeletal Care

November 4th, 2021 | 3 min. read

By Amber van Niekerk

man stretching legs during physical therapy

Two industry leaders come together to offer primary care services with critical physical therapy support

DENVER, CO and BOLINGBROOK, IL    November 4, 2021

National direct primary care provider Everside Health, LLC (“Everside”), formerly Paladina Health, Activate Healthcare, Healthstat and R-Health, announced today a national partnership with ATI Physical Therapy (“ATI”) (NYSE: ATIP), the largest single-branded outpatient physical therapy provider in the United States, that will deliver greater access to care, lower costs and better treatment outcomes for patients and their employers.

The partnership combines Everside’s advanced value-based primary care experience with ATI’s innovative musculoskeletal (MSK) health services to provide preventative care while helping to reduce healthcare costs for both employers and patients. The significant overlap of the companies’ geographic footprints offers a powerful reach, with Everside operating more than 350 health centers in 34 states and ATI running more than 900 outpatient clinics in 25 states.

“ATI is a natural partner for us because its service delivery model and approach to providing worksite solutions align with ours,” said Gaurov Dayal, President of Everside Health. “Both companies are equally focused on providing better access and improved patient outcomes at lower costs. By bringing together our collective expertise and experience, we can deliver these benefits more efficiently to more patients.”

The partnership comes at a pivotal time for patients and their employers. An estimated one in two U.S. adults have a MSK condition and the cost of treating MSK has doubled from $10 billion to around $20 billion in the last decade. The partnership aims to lower treatment costs and allows both organizations to offer more integrated products and services to patients, addressing MSK-related and other chronic issues before they worsen.

As part of Everside’s direct primary care model, the company offers preventive health services onsite or near employer workforces, as well as virtually. This approach has been successful in helping employees better manage a wide array of costly, chronic health problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. On average, employers on the Everside program save 17% on claims costs by year three and 31% by year five, based on retrospective savings analysis.

Similarly, studies have shown that early physical therapy as a first line treatment option for MSK pain can reduce opioid use by up to 90%, advanced imaging such as MRIs by 30% and ER visits by 15%, resulting in direct medical cost savings from $1,543 to $5,400 per patient. 1-3

“With one of the largest patient databases in the country, ATI is proud to deliver industry-leading outcomes to our patients,” said Ray Wahl, COO of ATI Physical Therapy. “We are excited to have identified a partner with the same focus on superior care and helping employers deliver added value to their employees, while also dramatically saving on healthcare-related costs. We believe this strategic partnership will help shape how holistic healthcare is delivered and effectively integrated for cost savings for both the patient and employer.”

“Everside Health continues to seek out partners that add value to our existing products and services,” said Wesley Donohoe, Chief Product Officer for Everside Health. “ATI stands out as a leader in the industry with a proven approach to helping patients with MSK-related issues. We designed a truly integrated product to deliver an innovated experience for our patients and the ATI and Everside care teams.”

For more information, visit eversidehealth.com/ati

About Everside Health

Everside Health, formerly Paladina Health, Activate Healthcare, Healthstat and R-Health, is one of the largest direct primary care providers in the U.S., operating approximately 350+ health clinics in 34 states located at or near the facilities of its employer, union and other benefit sponsor clients. Everside Health’s patient-focused, care-obsessed, technology-driven healthcare delivery model aligns incentives to benefit the patient, the physician and the benefit provider, all while reducing the total cost of care. Patients receive convenient, low- or no-cost access to physicians and 24/7 virtual care, reducing the need for costly ER use. Everside Health is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. For more information, visit www.eversidehealth.com.

About ATI Physical Therapy 

At ATI Physical Therapy, we are passionate about potential. Every day, we restore it in our patients and activate it in our team members in our approximate 900 locations across the U.S. With outcomes from more than 2.5 million unique patient cases, ATI is making strides in the industry by setting quality standards that deliver predictable outcomes for our patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) issues. ATI's offerings span across a broad spectrum for MSK-related issues. From preventative services in the workplace and athletic training support to outpatient clinical services and online physical therapy via its online platform, CONNECT™, a complete list of our service offerings can be found at ATIpt.com. ATI is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois. 

Sources: 

  1. Frogner BK, Harwood K, Andrilla CHA, Schwartz M, Pines JM. Physical Therapy as the First Point of Care to Treat Low Back Pain: An Instrumental Variables Approach to Estimate Impact on Opioid Prescription, Health Care Utilization, and Costs. Health Serv Res. 2018;53(6):4629-4646.

  2. Fritz JM, Kim M, Magel JS, Asche CV. Cost-Effectiveness of Primary Care Management with or Without Early Physical Therapy for Acute Low Back Pain: Economic Evaluation of a Randomized Clinical Trial. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2016.

  3. Denninger TR, Cook CE, Chapman CG, McHenry T, Thigpen CA. The Influence of Patient Choice of First Provider on Costs and Outcomes: Analysis From a Physical Therapy Patient Registry. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2018;48(2):63-71.