Intersection

Turntable Health’s closure leaves Downtown patients in the lurch

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This is a common area at the Turntable Health clinic Friday, April 4, 2014.
Photo: Sam Morris

Turntable Health, a membership-based primary care practice in Downtown Las Vegas, will close its doors on January 31. Touted as an affordable and comprehensive alternative to insurance-based healthcare, the Downtown Project-affiliated company notified its members in December that its services would no longer be available. The member-based model, in which patients pay a flat monthly rate of $80 to receive access to a “wellness ecosystem,” including same- or next-day visits; 24/7 physician contact by phone, email or video chat; health coaching; nutrition, yoga and group therapy classes; and an on-site demonstration kitchen.

“Unfortunately, the economic challenges of the Las Vegas market no longer allow us to viably and sustainably offer care in our Downtown location, and so doing the right thing for our patients means transitioning their care to other local providers,” Turntable Health founder Zubin Damania said in a statement.

Patient Dodi Whitehead-Johnson joined when she lost her job—and, subsequently, her insurance benefits—due to cutbacks. Turntable’s impending closure and her ongoing medical needs have her actively looking for a viable alternative. “I’m trying to get some help through county or state assistance,” she says. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, and right now I’m having some medical issues that need Turntable Health. I need to have a doctor available to me.”

Damania says Turntable is working with patients to make sure they have the resources to follow up their care elsewhere, adding that, hopefully, member-based healthcare in Las Vegas isn’t gone forever. “We know what works in terms of care. What we need is a sustainable, viable path, because the health care system in Vegas is not designed to support this model economically. Once we figure that out … hopefully we can come back stronger,” Damania said.

Turntable patients can sign up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act (while it’s still available) at healthcare.gov and browse local clinics at southernnevadahealthdistrict.org.

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