Arizona ranks 44th in the nation for primary care physicians per capita. This shortage often leaves patients with long waits, rushed appointments, and limited access to care — especially during the winter visitor season.
Rather than building another large healthcare system, Corner Health is taking a different approach by connecting patients with independently owned, nurse practitioner-led practices that prioritize accessibility, affordability, and, perhaps most importantly, listening.
In just over a year, Corner Health has grown to more than 100 independent practices throughout Arizona, from Phoenix and Gilbert to Tucson, Flagstaff and San Luis.
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According to the company, patients can save up to 70% on out-of-pocket costs, appointments are frequently available within two days, and new-patient visits average 40 minutes.
The network has facilitated more than 50,000 patient visits, with 88% of surveyed patients reporting a better healthcare experience.
For Corner Health founder Lava Sunder the idea for her company came long ago.
“My parents immigrated to the U.S. like 35 years ago, and my mom started your classic local practice,” Sunder said.
“It was just my mom. She’s not owned by private equity or owned by a hospital system. She actually doesn’t even share the practice with any other providers. It’s my mom and her patients.”
Growing up, Sunder spent time helping around the practice, filing charts and setting up electronic health record systems. The experience gave her a front-row seat to a healthcare model centered on relationships rather than volume.
“I witnessed the type of healthcare that is possible when providers own the relationship between themselves and the patient,” she said. “It’s not a big healthcare system that owns it or a private equity group that owns it.”
That experience ultimately shaped the mission behind Corner Health.
“I became really obsessed with the idea of trying to make more patients feel heard by their providers and bring back that kind of personal care,” Sunder said.
Today, the company’s network includes more than 100 independently owned NP-led practices across the state.
“About 96% of Maricopa County is located around the corner from one of our practices.”
Unlike many independent practices that rely on concierge memberships, Corner Health providers generally accept major insurance plans, including Medicare, and offer self-pay options. Sunder believes personalized care should be available to everyday patients, not just those willing to pay premium monthly fees.
“The average Arizonan doesn’t necessarily want to spend $200 a month for a concierge doctor,” she said.
“But if you have normal health insurance through your employer, you deserve the type of really personal relationship with a provider that really knows you and listens to you.”
“That’s exactly what we’re trying to do,” she added. “It’s concierge care without the concierge fee.”
The company reports that appointments are typically available within two days and often even sooner. Yet Sunder believes access alone is not what sets the network apart.
If there is one word that consistently appears in patient feedback, she said, it is “listen.”
“Over two-thirds of reviews for patients on our network literally use the word ‘listen,’” Sunder said.
“They are saying, ‘Wow, I finally feel listened to. Wow, I finally feel heard.’”
While longer appointments are frequently highlighted as a benefit, Sunder said the extra time is valuable only when it’s paired with genuine attention.
“The time is great. You want more time with your provider,” she said. “But the real piece is you want time with the provider who really cares.”
“Feeling heard and feeling listened to is the No. 1 priority of the practices on our network,” she added.
The additional time can also lead to more accurate diagnoses. Sunder recalled a patient who initially visited a large health system and received treatment for what appeared to be a routine illness. Afterward, the patient sought a second opinion from a provider in the Corner Health network.
“The provider sat with the patient for 40 minutes,” Sunder said. “After some tests and really being able to listen to this patient’s story, this patient had Valley fever.”
“You know, your healthcare really deserves more than just a few rushed minutes,” she added. “Even if it may seem like a cold or flu or whatever, often it can be masking something that’s much, much worse and needs to be handled.”
Because Corner Health is a network of independent practices, providers can tailor their services to meet the needs of their communities. Some offer bilingual care, while others focus on functional medicine or faith-informed healthcare. Patients often choose providers based on shared language, background or treatment philosophy.
“Some patients might seek out a provider that’s a woman. If you’re a Spanish-speaking patient, maybe you want a Spanish-speaking provider. If you’re a woman of color, maybe you want a provider of color,” Sunder said.
“That’s the beauty of the network. You find the provider for you, and really the provider that can be in your corner as you navigate your healthcare.”
Sunder points to providers like Carolyn Collier, owner of Prism Wellness Center in Goodyear, as examples of the relationships independent providers can build with patients.
She started her practice when she unexpectedly lost her husband to a sudden health issue,” Sunder said.
“She has this incredible patient-focused practice. She gives care in both English and Spanish, and she says her favorite thing is when patients leave and give her a hug.”
“How special is it to go to a provider where you feel so heard that you want to give them a hug?” she added.
The emphasis on preventive care is particularly important in Arizona, where many residents do not have an established primary care provider.
“One in four Arizonans don’t even have a primary care provider,” Sunder said. “We want to make it as easy as possible for patients to take care of their health.”
She believes primary care should be viewed as more than a place to visit when illness strikes.
“There’s so much in healthcare about being preventative and getting ahead of your health,” Sunder said. “Whether that’s managing chronic conditions, doing cancer screening, making sure you get your annual Pap smear. That’s activities that you want to do year-round.”
For Sunder, Corner Health is about more than improving patient experiences. It is also about helping independent healthcare providers thrive at a time when many face increasing pressure from large healthcare systems and private-equity-backed organizations.
“Beyond wanting to help more patients access healthcare, I want to help more independent practices really grow and thrive,” she said.
As Corner Health continues its rapid growth across Arizona, Sunder hopes more residents will discover a model that feels increasingly uncommon in modern healthcare.
“The No. 1 thing we can say is find a provider who really listens,” she said. “Make sure they can understand if it’s a simple illness or if it’s something more.”
