Our mission is to provide primary care as it is meant to be: grounded in a relationship between people, focused on an authentic experience, and crafted to help you achieve your optimal health.
Our vision is to redefine the experience of primary care and transform healthcare to work better for everyone.
We know primary care is the foundation for better health and a better health care system. Better primary care does not have to be complicated. It can and should be accessible, personal, comprehensive, well-coordinated, affordable, and excellent.
We keep things simple. We seek robust scientific evidence in all the care we provide while adapting it to personal values. We utilize best-in-class technology to enhance the human experience. We focus on healing, sustainability, and balance.
We have a story and want to hear yours. The core of primary care is relationship, connection. We honor this connection with you and our collective community. We value collaborative and creative spirit, shared decision-making, and integrity. We recognize the intrinsic impact of social determinants. We seek equity.
Our story begins in the western North Carolina mountains, where Dr. Ben Aiken saw the dysfunction and complexity of status quo primary care. As a resident physician, with healthy influence from his public health background and paternal grandfather Bill, who was part of the first and much simpler, human-focused era of family medicine, Ben spent all of his elective time exploring new models of primary care nationally. He developed expertise and a passion for being the change we so desperately need through direct primary care. In this light, Lantern Health launched in 2018, initially part of the regional health system. In 2020, Ben transitioned the practice out of the system to be fully independent.
Our story continues with a steadfast commitment to our mission, vision, and values guiding expansion within our initial community and to new ones. We hold a deep commitment to our shared ethos and aligned incentives, with plans to ultimately convert our business into an employee-owned trust, such that it can far outlast any of us.
Our region is known for the art of craft. The skilled maker’s hands know full well that time, care, and focused attention turn raw elements into an exquisite work of art. Ancient things become new again. From this same thread, we reclaim age-old values to illuminate the path toward a better and brighter future in healthcare.
Primary care as it is meant to be.
