MDNews - Greater Boston

Loyal patients see our sign and know what kind of treatment they will receive when they walk through the door." The A FC f ra nch ise model a l lows owners to provide a high quality of care and focus on patients without getting overwhelmed by the regulatory aspect of medicine. While not all franchisees are physicians, the model is a particularly attractive one for doctors because they are often able to fill the most expensive sta˜ position themselves, that of chief medical o"cer. Dr. Jalisi has found that other medical sta˜ positions are relatively easy to fill, as well, as physicians catch on to the perks of working for an AFC Urgent Care clinic. " Younger doctors are attracted to the urgent ca re model," he says. "It 's shif t work a nd not a n on-ca ll system. Sta ff physicia ns get benef its, even bonuses, plus pa id ma lpractice insura nce a nd vacation time." For vetera n doctors, it 's the cha nce t o f lee t he g r i nd of on- ca l l 80 -hou r work weeks that encoura ges them to become A FC fra nchisees. They get a cha nce to become t heir ow n boss in a patient-focused env i ron ment t hat promotes work-life ba la nce. T hat 's what St even Hef fer, M D, a board-certif ied emergency room physi- cia n from Connecticut found in 2014, when he lef t the trauma unit to open h i s ow n A FC Urgent Ca re cl i n ic i n Bridgeport. He opened a second location in Fairf ield a yea r later a nd now ser ves as Chief Medical Officer of both centers. "I invested in the urgent ca re busi- ness because I recog nized that it wa s Franchise Opportunity at a Glance A FC FR A NCHISE OPPORTUNITIE S offer a financially competitive solution for qualified physicians to start a business of their own whether as a single unit or multi-unit investor. Total initial investment is estimated to be between $807,500 and $1,434,500, which includes the franchise fee of $55,000. For investors converting an existing urgent care facility into an AFC clinic, the total estimated initial investment ranges from $84,750 to $421,750, including an initial fee of $41,250. Net worth requirements include total assets of at least $1,200,000 and access to liquid cash of $550,000. Once operational, the AFC royalty fee is 6 percent of gross sales on an ongoing basis. Franchise opportunities for much of the New England territory are controlled by MedVest, LLC, an Investment Management firm based in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, that holds the master franchisee rights to Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. In addition to managing local franchise opportunities, MedVest also runs a number of AFC Urgent Care clinics itself. Steven Heffer, MD, owns two AFC franchises in Connecticut. the best way to help busy families who want quality, convenient and a˜ordable health care," Dr. He˜er says. "Illnesses and injuries don't always happen Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. With our clinic being open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., we can really serve our commu- nity while o˜ering hospitals, physicians and specialists a place to refer patients when they're either too busy or closed." Dr. He˜er bought into the urgent care industry with more than 20 years of emer- gency room experience. He says physicians are leaving more traditional employment situations, and even their own practices, because the back o"ce management and paperwork has become so overwhelming. "AFC Urgent Care provides an estab- lished business model, so I don't have to worry about making some of the mistakes that can hinder physicians when they open practices on their own," he says. The AFC franchise model makes the buying process easy for physician-owners like Dr. He˜er. With a smooth process implemented by AFC corporate, franchi- sees have access to established vendors to help locate a site and a management firm that takes the worry out of design and construction, plus they get competitive, pre-negotiated pricing on all the neces- sary equipment. O t h e r o p e r a t i n g c o s t s a r e a l s o reduced by t he buy i n g power of t he la rge network of clinics. "Everyone has to buy supplies," Dr. Jalisi says. "Buying them in bulk saves clinic owners money, and those savings can be passed on to the patient." He a dqu a r t er e d i n B i r m i n g h a m , Alabama, AFC has more than 160 clin- ics nationwide. Eighteen of those are in Massachusetts, including centers in Braintree, Dedham and New Bedford. A little over half the clinics are independently owned franchise locations. Dr. Jalisi is also expanding, with plans to open a second AFC clinic in Arlington this summer. Then he'll join Dr. He˜er in a growing group of physicians who own multiple AFC franchises. For his part, Dr. He˜er takes pride in the fact that his AFC clinics provide service in two distinct cities with di˜erent demographics. "Regardless of the demographic, our patients' care and well-being are our primary focus," he says. "We are commit- ted to setting a new standard in urgent care, expanding access to quality medical services and becoming a trusted health resource for the local community. We're helping people live healthier, longer lives." F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t l o c a l f ra n c h i s e o p p o r t u n it i e s w ith A F C , p l e a s e c o nt a c t R i ck C re w s a t MedVest, 413-754-3305. ■ M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S S O U T H O F B O S T O N ■ 2 016 2 1

• Cover