The Evolution of Welcome Health

In a time where medicine can feel rushed and impersonal, Welcome Health has built something different: a direct primary care (DPC) practice rooted in access, affordability, and community.

For its founding physician, Rob Lamberts, MD — now in his 32nd year of primary care — the journey to Welcome Health felt inevitable as he grew more frustrated and discouraged with larger healthcare systems. Dr. Lamberts decided to start his own practice at home in Augusta, Georgia where he could provide care the way he believed it should be given, and patients followed him. From there, the practice grew organically as patients also sought better care from someone they could trust.

At the outset, he didn’t have an electronic medical record system (EMR). “The tools weren’t good,” he recalls, and “I was building the plane as I was flying it.” Documentation ran through one system, billing another, and communications another. Despite the administrative challenges and disconnect, his practice continued to grow, and he continued to focus on patient care.

Solo Practice to Shared Vision

Over time, he began helping other physicians launch their own DPC practices. Three years ago, those efforts formalized into a partnership that became Welcome Health. Three independent practices merged into one.

On paper, it was a logical next step. In reality, it was a technical nightmare. Now, he had three separate billing accounts, three documentation methods, and three separate communication platforms. Data was scattered across platforms. Communication from vendors was sparse. Product updates were stagnant. The technology that was supposed to support his practice became a daily frustration.

So he did what he’d always done: he improvised. At one point, he even built his own EMR to better access and understand his practice’s data.

When Systems Limit Quality of Care

The business goals for Welcome Health were evolving. The practice wanted to:

• Grow relationships with local businesses to build employer-based partnerships

• Scale membership

• Leverage data between patients’ charts, labs, and communication records

• Understand (and meet!) patient needs and engagement beyond in-office visits

But their data lived in silos. If direct primary care is built on ease of access, the technology wasn’t meeting them where they needed to be.

Searching for a Partner, Not Just a Platform

“What happens between visits is more important than what happens at the visit,” Dr. Lamberts explains. “We need to look at care on the continuum.”

For Welcome Health, that continuum includes:

• Texts from new parents worried about their baby’s fever

• Telehealth follow-ups

• Portal messages about medication side effects

• After-hours questions

“People pay for access to their doctor, not the visits.” And Welcome Health was searching for an EMR to reflect that. In addition to a new EMR, Welcome Health was looking for a partner to develop and grow with.

In 2023, Dr. Lamberts met the team behind Akute and was attracted to their desire to improve EMRs, not just meet the status quo. The even bigger attraction? Feedback no longer disappeared into a void.

Now, product requests surface in updates. When workflows need refinement, the team listens.

Akute’s leadership team visited Welcome Health in Augusta to observe their workflows, and then translated that into product improvements. For the first time in years, their EMR felt responsive to care, not resistant to it.

Impact on Staff and Operations

At Welcome Health, improved task and contact management significantly alters daily operations. Staff manage communications, but they also need to convert conversations into actionable tasks. 

The integration with Spruce has proven particularly powerful. Being able to see patient communications inside the chart closes a long-standing gap. Care discussions no longer float outside the medical record. They are part of it.

The result?

• Fewer dropped threads

• Clearer accountability

• More complete patient context

And, importantly, a better experience for patients who expect seamless access.

Cost, Efficiency, and Emotional ROI

Compared to their previous system, Akute offers a better overall experience and is more economical. But the real return isn’t just financial.

For a physician who has built and rebuilt systems for three decades, that matters. Technology impacts Dr. Lamberts’ day-to-day life and his energy. Feeling heard changes the tone of work.

A Legacy Beyond One Physician

Dr. Lamberts never set out to build a group practice. Welcome Health began as a mission to deliver good care, simply and directly.

Now, in the greater Augusta area, it’s something larger.

He plans to retire in five to seven years. But he’s thinking about what remains. The goal isn’t just growth. It's a legacy.

“Having tools that allow you to keep growing is great.”

In the end, Welcome Health’s story isn’t about software. It’s about alignment. When technology supports the philosophy of care it becomes an enabler of something larger — a practice built on trust.

Looking to launch or grow your DPC practice?
Book a demo with us to see Akute in action!