Accessible Healthcare for Kenya – the Story of PremierCare

Dr. Stephen Ojwang and PremierCare Hospital Group

Dr. Stephen Ojwang dreamed of offering top-tier medical care to underserved communities in Africa. A trained radiologist, he made his dream a reality and founded PremierCare Hospital Group in 2014 with his wife Loice. Today, PremierCare operates an in-patient hospital in Kitengela, just outside Nairobi, two clinics in Narok, and a clinic in Loitokitok, a mostly Maasai community near the Tanzania border. In these rural areas, most patients are seeking treatment for prenatal care or cancer. Because Dr. Ojwang strongly believes that quality healthcare is “a right, not a privilege,” he and his team at PremierCare are passionately pioneering a “regional hub” approach to primary care in rural areas of Kenya. This approach makes healthcare more accessible,  decreasing what is often an arduous, 8-hour or more trip to  Nairobi down to two hours or less.

In 2022, Dr. Ojwang joined Ascent, a customized nine-month Sinapis experience focused on equipping seasoned entrepreneurs and their teams to achieve catalytic growth and investment readiness. Instead of lectures, Ascent curates practical workshops and connects entrepreneurs with mentors to solve their most pressing business challenges. The outcomes of this approach, its emphasis on Kingdom impact, and the time spent with other business leaders enrolled in the cohort have been invaluable to Dr. Ojwang. “We’ve focused on a lot on numbers that matter — customer costs going down and customer retention increasing,” he says. “Ascent’s whole planning platform has helped us plan our operations and processes. We’ve reduced wastage because we’ve planned all across the teams.”

Dr. Ojwang also began implementing regular, structured engagements with everyone from his senior management team to those working in housekeeping. “People realize we care about their well-being, not just the numbers,” he says. He has become a better listener, having learned through Ascent the power of giving and receiving feedback. “We keep each other accountable to what we promised, with a lot of emphasis on integrity as part of our core values — the staff owns the vision and purpose, maybe even better than I do!”

The results? Breakout growth has begun. PremierCare now employs 20% more workers (from 40 to 50 in the last year). Projected growth is set to double by the end of 2023. Plus, a fourth clinic in Syokimau recently opened. By 2026, PremierCare aims to expand to two hospitals, nine clinics, and a staff of 350. Employee recruitment now focuses “not just on talent, but on attitude,” and employee benefits include stock options. PremierCare has also decreased employee turnover: “At one of our branches last year, we had no turnover,” says Dr. Ojwang. Employee training and collaboration also happen regularly. For example, the entire team recently worked to create a well-structured operations manual. These changes have led to an increase in productivity for PremierCare, and revenues in the pharmacy department have increased by more than 100% in less than a year. Most importantly, Dr. Ojwang describes a “paradigm shift” in his approach to running his company: “I now take leadership for my company,” he reflects, “rather than management of it.”

Today, an estimated 25,000 people a year benefit from quality healthcare services offered by PremierCare in rural parts of Kenya, and that number is increasing. Dr. Ojwang and his team also provide free medical treatments and screenings to roughly 1000 people annually. For example, the staff recently cared for roughly 300 prisoners and over 200 wardens at a prison in Narok. As PremierCare’s community outreach initiatives have grown, so has Dr. Ojwang’s Kingdom perspective. “I am just a steward with a responsibility,” he says slowly, “not an owner with rights.” He tries to keep  Colossians 3:23 top of mind, which says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” God’s honoring that intent as, by His grace, Premier Care begins to significantly transform the healthcare landscape in rural Kenya and beyond.

Sinapis has a heart for serving highly motivated founders and CEOs looking to achieve breakout growth and investment readiness in their companies for the glory of God. In our nine-month Ascent program, world-class mentors engage a small, elite founders cohort, helping them develop a clear path to success. But training doesn’t stop there. Mentors also offer practical guidance and godly wisdom on how to lead a business as a follower of Christ. Emphasis is placed on serving others, impacting the surrounding community, and transforming lives.

If you or a business leader you know is interested in learning more about Ascent and applying for our next cohort, please contact ascentteam@sinapis.org.