How PrimeHealth Thinks About Positioning Themselves in The Search Economy with Luke Schmidt

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, a revolution is quietly brewing, led by people like Luke Schmidt, the founder and CEO of PrimeHealth in Denver. With an unwavering passion for empowering people to achieve optimal health, Luke has embarked on a mission to redefine the traditional approach to medicine.

From a conventional business graduate to a trailblazer in functional medicine, Luke's journey is a testament to the power of following one's calling. What began as a serendipitous encounter in Nicaragua, where he witnessed the profound impact of medical care on underserved communities, ignited a flame within him – a desire to contribute meaningfully to people's well-being.

The Origins of Prime Health

Luke's path to founding Prime Health was nothing short of unconventional. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin School of Business, he found himself on a life-altering mission trip to Nicaragua, where he volunteered at a medical clinic alongside his mother. Despite having no medical background, the experience left an indelible mark on him, prompting a radical shift in his aspirations.

"I had a huge kind of, like, oh, shit moment of I feel like I should be doing something else. I feel like I should be doing something more meaningful than potentially what I was going into consulting," Luke recalls.

Embracing this epiphany, Luke embarked on a journey to acquire the necessary scientific foundations, completing a post-baccalaureate program at Columbia University in New York. While initially planning to attend medical school, his encounter with functional medicine at Parsley Health – one of the largest functional medicine practices – changed everything.

"I had another one-eighty of, like, shit. I know I wanna go into medicine, but now I know that I don't wanna go into conventional medicine," Luke explains. This revelation led him to the decision to forgo medical school and, instead, start PrimeHealth with his wife, Soyona, a medical doctor trained in functional and integrative medicine.

What is Functional Medicine?

At the core of PrimeHealth's philosophy lies the principles of functional medicine, an approach that focuses on treating the root cause of illness rather than merely addressing symptoms. Luke elaborates, "It's generally treating the root cause of illness. So looking at why something's happening and not just the symptoms."

This holistic approach encompasses various healing modalities, including lifestyle adjustments, dietary interventions, comprehensive testing, and personalized treatment plans. PrimeHealth caters to a diverse range of patients, from those grappling with chronic, complex illnesses to those seeking preventive measures and overall wellness optimization.

"We see all types of patients from those with chronic complex illnesses to those that are probably more like you – they are generally healthy. They feel good, but they wanna feel great and they wanna prevent future disease from happening," Luke explains.

Differentiating Prime Health's Model

While the functional medicine approach is gaining traction, PrimeHealth sets itself apart by prioritizing personalized care and building strong patient relationships. In stark contrast to conventional practices where providers often juggle hundreds of patients, PrimeHealth's practitioners cap their patient load at around 100 individuals.

"Our practice, each provider maxes out at about a 100 patients. If you compare that to, like, you know, a PCP has 2,500 patients, even a concierge doctor typically has 600. So we see way, way less patients, but what that allows us to do is to build a much stronger relationship with them," Luke explains.

This low patient volume facilitates an iterative and reciprocal relationship, where customized plans are continuously refined based on the patient's unique needs and progress.

Another distinguishing factor of Prime Health is its comprehensive approach, blending conventional medicine with functional and integrative practices. "Everyone on our team is trained in conventional medicine first. So, you know, we can look at things like medication. We can manage that, but we also have a lot more training in functional and integrative medicine. So it really is the best of all worlds," Luke states.

Marketing and Positioning Strategies

In the early days of PrimeHealth, the practice heavily relied on its website and online presence to attract patients. However, the ever-changing landscape of search algorithms taught Luke a valuable lesson: diversification is key.

"It really highlighted the need for us to have more channels for patients to come in. I think what happened with us is when things are going well, I know for me personally, when things are going well, I get complacent. But those are the times when I think you really need to push forward and you need to focus on what else you can do because you notice as a business, if you're focusing on just the one channel being Google and your website, you're really fragile," Luke reflects.

To mitigate this fragility, PrimeHealth is actively exploring new avenues for patient acquisition, such as partnering with respected organizations and communities to educate and raise awareness about functional medicine.

"What's really important to us and our business is to have connections with organizations that we respect, communities that we respect, you know, like you and Pneuma, like places like Archipelago, a community that we've been involved with for 5 years," Luke explains. "We love going out there and connecting with people and just introducing them to functional medicine, giving them any information that we have, so that they can understand that there's a different way to approach their health."

Future Goals and Challenges

As PrimeHealth continues to grow and evolve, Luke's focus remains steadfast on strengthening the practice's sales and marketing strategies. This includes refining processes, training new salespeople, and simplifying the practice's offerings to ensure alignment and clarity.

"We've changed a lot of our the, you know, the programs that we offer. We've just simplified everything. For a while, we had too many offerings, too many plans. We were trying to be everything for everyone, and we're not doing that anymore, which it feels good. It feels like we're all very, like, we're all very aligned," Luke shares.

With the impending arrival of a new family member in early 2023, Luke is driven to position PrimeHealth as the premier functional medicine practice in Denver, capitalizing on the growing awareness and acceptance of this approach.

"I think we are in the position where if we just button a few things up and we just lock a couple key strategies in that we that we're working on, that we have the opportunity to be, like, the practice of Denver," Luke envisions.

However, this journey is not without its challenges, as functional medicine still faces misconceptions and skepticism from certain quarters. Luke acknowledges, "Even to this day, like, if you if you Google function of medicine and you see what Wikipedia says, Wikipedia says it's based on pseudoscience. It's quackery. Like Really?"

Yet, with a steadfast belief in the transformative power of functional medicine, backed by countless patient success stories, Luke remains undeterred, embracing the opportunity to educate and foster greater acceptance of this holistic approach.

Advice for Pioneering New Markets

When asked about advice for those venturing into new or unproven markets, Luke's response is a testament to the resilience and perseverance required to succeed.

"Starting is the hardest thing. And if you can position yourself in something that's unproven, like, yeah, that's probably the that might be the hardest to start initially, but the upside potential is way higher," he advises.

Emphasizing the importance of passion and effective communication, Luke encourages entrepreneurs to celebrate small milestones, no matter how insignificant they may seem. "We would have, like, goals of, like we'd have celebrations. So, like, at 5 patients, we, like, went out and, like, we, like, we, like, framed these pictures that were expensive to frame. You know, at 10 patients, I can't remember what we did, but we, you know, we had these little, you know, these little milestones."

Above all, Luke's journey underscores the power of perseverance and a steadfast commitment to one's vision. "If you have something like that that you know will help people, like, that's really exciting. But you've gotta you've definitely gotta be in it for the long haul," he emphasizes.

In the ever-changing landscape of healthcare, PrimeHealth stands as a beacon of hope, challenging the status quo and paving the way for a more holistic, personalized, and effective approach to medicine. With Luke Schmidt at the helm, this pioneering practice is poised to redefine what it means to truly prioritize the well-being of individuals, one patient at a time.

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