History

The ViTel Health Physician Services Cooperative, a Professional Corporation was founded by Brittany Busse, MD in San Francisco, CA in 2024 under the California Professional Corporation law and California Corporations Code Section 13400 as a medical corporation. The By-laws of a cooperative corporation were adopted at the Board of Directors' first meeting to serve the physician members' interests.

The delivery of healthcare in the United States is rapidly transforming. Hospital mergers, private equity acquisitions, and corporate buyouts have resulted in declining health in vulnerable communities and an alarming physician burnout and resignation rate.

Physicians who want to remain independent are looking for entities that can help them compete in the changing healthcare marketplace. Rather than try to invent a new entity, the founder of the ViTel Health Physician Services Cooperative, Dr. Brittany Busse, designed an interdependent practice structure around the agricultural cooperative model, that allows physicians to maintain their autonomy while taking advantage of the pricing and services provided to larger networked organizations.

Purpose

The purpose of this professional medical corporate cooperative is to engage in the profession of medicine, organize to promote the services offered by the physician members, promote the welfare of its members through advocacy, engage in collective purchasing for goods and services, and operate on a cooperative and collaborative basis.

The business shall be operated in accordance with cooperative principles adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance, namely: (i) voluntary and open membership with arbitrary discrimination; (ii) democratic governance by Members with equal voting rights among Members and the opportunity for participation in setting policies and making decisions; (iii) economic participation by Members with earnings being applied equitably based on the Member participation in the cooperative, less the monies utilized for economic development of the cooperative and the provision of common services, in accordance with all applicable laws governing how physicians may receive such compensation and distributions; (iv) autonomy and independence of the Co-op as a self-help organization controlled by the Members; (v) educating and training members, directors, managers, and employees so that they can contribute to the development of the Co-op and informing the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperation; (vi) strengthening the cooperative movement by working with other cooperatives at all levels; and (vii) working for the sustainable development of the physician community and their patients.