James Fishkin, Medical Director, Sollis Health
In an interview with Invest:, James Fishkin, medical director of Sollis Health, discussed the significant growth and strategic expansion of the concierge medical provider. He highlighted the company’s recent funding success and its focus on delivering high-quality, personalized care.
Over the past year, what were the significant highlights or milestones for Sollis Health?
Sollis Health is a unique provider of concierge urgent and emergent care, operating five clinics in Manhattan, one in the Hamptons, and two in Palm Beach County, including a flagship in Palm Beach and a new clinic in Boca Raton. We’re expanding into Coral Gables, with 3,000 members in Palm Beach and 150 already waiting in Miami. We’ve seen strong patient and investor interest, raising $35 million in a Series B led by Foresite Capital. We’ve grown steadily over eight years, now serving nearly 20,000 patients, with a focus on personalized, high-quality care.
What trends stand out in the Palm Beach healthcare industry, and how is Sollis Health adapting in response?
Palm Beach County has seen 6-9% population growth, making it a highly sought-after region. I’ve lived here for a couple of years and find the warmth and beauty of the people incredible. Traditionally, Florida had seasonal fluctuations, but more residents are staying year-round, stabilizing patient care volumes. Patients are moving here from the Northeast — New York, Chicago, Boston — and major healthcare players like Mount Sinai and Northwell are establishing significant presences. The Alan B. Miller Medical Center, a 156-bed facility, is coming to Palm Beach Gardens, where the pro-growth mayor supports development. There’s growing demand for concierge-level care like that provided by Sollis Health, where patients can drive up to our Palm Beach or Boca clinics for immediate care. We’re leading by partnering with concierge specialists — cardiologists, gastroenterologists, OBGYNs — to secure appointments quickly. Hospitals like St. Mary’s, Good Samaritan, Boca Regional, and Cleveland Clinic are also expanding, adding concierge wards.
What factors are driving the demand for concierge-level care in Palm Beach?
The growing demand for accessible, high-quality healthcare is driving patients toward models like Sollis Health, where they can receive immediate care without the long waits typical of emergency departments. People prefer seeing doctors who know them, fostering established relationships. Sollis Health offers concierge and urgent care services with near-emergency-room-level capabilities, appealing to clients of all ages. Unlike local urgent care facilities, where wait times can be significant and providers may vary, Sollis Health ensures consistency and quality. The organization is committed to hiring top-tier, board-certified emergency physicians, nurses, and industry leaders, which has generated significant interest across its clinics nationwide. This concierge model meets the needs of a population seeking efficient, personalized, and high-level medical care.
How is Sollis Health using technology and innovation to streamline operations and improve patient care?
AI is transforming emergency medicine at Sollis Health, where we embrace cutting-edge technology. Our simulation lab allows companywide case training, preparing teams for complex real-life scenarios. We use Metroport, an AI-integrated software, to access and summarize patient health data from various hospitals, streamlining care for conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Point-of-care ultrasound, enhanced by AI, guides providers to capture perfect images and provides detailed analyses, like valve area or heart contractility, typically requiring specialists. We interrogate pacemakers using AI to identify devices and assess events, a capability that is rare in urgent care. Sollis Health performs advanced procedures like paracentesis and thoracentesis, which are typically hospital-based. We’ve partnered with technology for molecular PCR testing, identifying viruses and bacteria rapidly. At the American College of Emergency Physicians Conference, we explored AI-driven tools like MeMed and FebriDX for early sepsis detection, analyzing 600 markers in 15 minutes.
What initiatives is Sollis Health undertaking to attract, retain, and develop skilled healthcare professionals in the region?
Sollis Health maintains low turnover through strong leadership and a supportive culture. It starts at the top with CEO Brad Olson, an empathic, intelligent leader who shares company insights during quarterly town halls, guiding goals from the C-suite down. Our team-based approach respects all members, with local operations leader Kellie Keitel providing intuitive guidance on changes, easing reticence. Off-site gatherings foster bonding beyond work. We also invest deeply in the community. I’m involved in the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, for example, and our doctors work at local hospitals, ingraining us in Palm Beach County. We hire top talent via referrals, appreciating our quality, individualized care. The work feels meaningful, engaging both staff and patients deeply.
Given the multidisciplinary nature of healthcare, how does Sollis Health facilitate collaboration among providers to ensure comprehensive patient care?
Sollis Health engages at multiple levels to strengthen Palm Beach County’s healthcare community. At the C-suite level, I’ve had productive discussions with Mayor Keith James, a pro-growth, charismatic leader who is committed to medical industry advancement. We collaborate with key figures through the Chamber of Commerce to unite community connections. I’ve also met with the CEOs of St. Mary’s and Good Samaritan to address patient care and countywide issues.
On the ground, we work closely with primary care groups like NYU Langone and Mount Sinai. For example, we recently managed a patient with severe epistaxis (nosebleed) by leveraging primary care insights, using IV medications, rapid labs, and advanced treatments like tranexamic acid to stabilize the patient within an hour.
Are there any important themes or topics that you would like to highlight?
Sollis Health is a vital resource for Palm Beach County’s aging population, addressing their unique healthcare needs. South Florida’s elderly often face balance and fall risks due to reduced reflexes and proprioception. Our emergency-trained doctors and nurses provide comprehensive trauma workups, including laceration repair, wound care, blood tests, EKGs, and CT scans, detecting serious conditions like intracranial bleeding or cervical spine fractures. We partner with trauma centers like St. Mary’s for advanced care. For chronic issues like shin wounds, we offer debridement, suturing, and home health coordination to avoid hospitalization. We also provide vaccines (RSV, shingles, flu) to prevent severe infections, along with chest x-rays, breathing treatments, and antibiotics. Additionally, we conduct medicine reconciliation to review and optimize the 10-20 medications elderly patients often take, collaborating with pharmacists and primary care doctors to enhance safety and care.
