The lifeless former Rite Aid store at 103 Country Club is back from the dead. Like Rite Aid, the new tenant is a national healthcare-related chain, but one with what it touts as a unique vision for the future of medical care.

Chicago-based Oak Street Health, which bills itself as “a network of value-based primary care centers for adults on Medicare,” will open a medical practice in the building, which has been vacant since the Rite Aid there closed in June 2018. 

According to county property records, the property -- near Country Club’s intersection with Ramsey Street -- is owned by ZP NO 28 LLC, which is associated with Wilmington-based Zimmer Development Company. The total taxable value of the land and building is $1,258,196, according to county records. In June, ZP NO 28 LLC applied for a building permit with the county that listed $2 million in renovations at the location. Hitt Contracting Inc. of Atlanta was listed as the contractor. 
 Zimmer has been involved with several Rite Aid locations. 

Meanwhile, the former Rite Aid shops at 906 Bingham Drive and 3716 Morganton Road remain vacant.

When the new medical center opens it will be Oak Street’s eighth in North Carolina and, according to its website, there are “more centers coming soon.”

Launched in 2012, Oak Street describes its mission as “rebuilding healthcare as it should be.”

“The company operates an innovative healthcare model focused on quality of care over volume of services, and assumes the full financial risk of its patients,” according to the publicly traded company (NYSE: OSH). It currently operates more than 100 centers across 15 states.

As the healthcare industry continues to move more toward an outcome-based system rather than the traditional fee-for-service, Oak Street believes it has a unique model, one it hopes will spark national interest.

“We operate an innovative model that drives patient engagement, improves health outcomes and manages medical costs in the older adult population,” according to promotional materials.

With the increase in healthcare costs showing no signs of slowing, much attention has been paid to seniors, the age group that accounts for most medical spending.

Reining in Medicare spending has been at the heart of much of those cost-control efforts.

“We are doctors for adults on Medicare,” Oak Street officials say. “As you get older, primary care has never been more important. We’re experts at providing professional, friendly medical care to Medicare patients and adults over 65, and we know what it takes to keep you happy, healthy and out of the hospital.”

A big part of Oak Street’s strategy is using technology and analytics -- not for patient care but to help the company continue to learn what drives the best health outcomes.

Built In, a technology-innovation firm, recently touted Oak Street as a top “tech disruptor.”

“While most primary care providers follow a “fee-for-service” business model, Oak Street Health believes this approach prioritizes volume over quality care,” according to Built In. “The company takes on the full costs and risks associated with a patient’s healthcare, meaning its business model incentivizes a managed care approach for older patients that seeks to keep them out of hospital emergency rooms.”

Other North Carolina Oak Street locations are in Charlotte, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Durham, High Point and Greensboro.

The Fayetteville location is expected to open by early 2022, company spokesperson Erica Frank told the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal on Monday. Although the location is not open yet, its website is up and running and offers details on services.

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