Youhe Clinic: A One-Stop Healthcare Provider for Families and Enterprises, Backed by Capital Medical Group

When it comes to general practitioners and family doctors, the first impression that springs to mind for most people is dilapidated community clinics with somewhat dirty and disordered environments. However, the Youhe Clinic Jiuxianqiao Branch, which opened last December and specializes in general practice and family doctor services, offers a completely different ambiance—warm atmosphere, stylish décor, and a clean environment...

Youhe Clinic is a comprehensive medical institution under the Capital Medical Group, covering departments such as General Practice (Family Medicine), Pediatrics, Gynecology, Orthopedics, Dentistry, Ophthalmology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Psychology, and Rehabilitation. It has also established specialized treatment centers, including the Functional Medicine Center, Sports Medicine Center, and Expert Consultation Center.

Youhe Clinic was jointly established by Capital Medical Group and the Shengbei Team, with Capital Medical Group holding a 51% equity stake. The Shengbei Team brings over a decade of experience in operating high-end medical clinics and possesses extensive expertise in clinic establishment. Through this collaboration, both parties have dedicated their resources to creating a chain of general practice outpatient clinics. Youhe has planned a total of four clinics in Beijing. It took more than a year from project inception to the opening of the first clinic in Jiuxianqiao. The Youhe Financial Street Clinic and Youhe Wanliu Clinic are currently under construction, while the Youhe CBD Clinic is poised to open soon.

The Youhe Clinic’s Jiuxianqiao branch covers an area of 2,380 square meters and spans three floors. Among its more than 30 physicians, 15 are full-time general practitioners and specialists. Sheng Bei, co-founder of Youhe Clinic, described the clinic’s positioning as follows: “Youhe Clinic is a chain of medical clinics that provides healthcare services to China’s middle class—individuals with certain payment capabilities. Our primary target population consists of patients in China who are not covered by public medical insurance.”

Sheng Bei, Co-founder of Youhe Clinic

Currently, in first-tier cities, the layout of mid-to-high-end clinics is becoming increasingly comprehensive, with substantial capital inflows. In Sheng Bei’s view, Youhe Clinic’s positioning differs from that of high-end clinics such as United Family Healthcare, Vista Medical Center, and Hong Kong & Macau International Clinic. These high-end clinics primarily serve affluent patients, including expatriates, who hold commercial medical insurance. Even in a metropolis like Beijing, the size of this customer base is limited. Although Youhe Clinic matches these institutions in terms of medical expertise, equipment, clinical environment, and service quality, and has established partnerships with commercial insurers such as Huatai Insurance and Wellbe, it targets a different demographic. With lower consultation fees, it is better suited to the middle class. The physician’s consultation fee at Youhe Clinic is approximately RMB 350, with the average total cost—including treatment and medication—ranging between RMB 600 and 700.

Sheng Bei began her career at foreign-funded clinics in 2005 and has accumulated extensive experience in the operation of high-end medical facilities. Prior to founding Youhe, she conducted prolonged study tours and inspections in Australia, the United States, Canada, and other regions. Recognizing that Chinese patients have distinct healthcare habits and needs, Sheng Bei prioritized adapting to the unique characteristics of the Chinese market while introducing advanced international management practices, ultimately adopting a healthcare delivery model that integrates general practice with specialized care.

“In China, the traditional healthcare model is deeply entrenched. Patients are accustomed to seeking care from specialists and have little understanding of general practitioners (GPs). Many people are unaware of what GPs can do, or they mistakenly equate GPs with physicians working in community clinics. However, there is a significant gap between experienced GPs abroad and our community doctors in terms of clinical experience and diagnostic and treatment capabilities.” Sheng Bei clearly recognizes that foreign healthcare models cannot be directly replicated in China. Therefore, Youhe Clinic has been continuously exploring its own development path, ultimately adopting a hybrid model that integrates general practice with specialized care.

In developed countries in Europe and the United States, there are strict regulations for the training of general practitioners (GPs), who account for approximately 50% of the total physician workforce. In general practice, patients receive standardized and holistic treatment and management. In contrast, China currently faces a significant shortage of GPs, most of whom lack advanced proficiency, as the majority have transitioned from primary care positions or other medical specialties. Youhe Clinic has recruited experienced GPs from abroad and incorporated seasoned domestic GPs into its team, establishing a highly competent general practice department.

In terms of specialty care, given that specialists at large public hospitals in China already maintain a high standard of professional expertise, the specialty clinics at Youhe Clinic are primarily staffed by physicians who have left the public hospital system. Meanwhile, the clinic collaborates with several renowned Grade A tertiary hospitals in China—including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, and Beijing Tongren Hospital—to share access to high-quality expert resources.

How can a new clinic differentiate itself from public hospitals and other clinics? Sheng Bei believes that merely investing in the consultation environment, service quality, and equipment is insufficient. As private clinics have cultivated the high-end market in recent years, the gap between providers in terms of hardware and software has narrowed significantly. A high-quality consultation environment and advanced medical equipment have become basic requirements for mid-to-high-end clinics.

Youhe Clinic is more than just a general outpatient facility; it also benefits from medical resource support provided by other specialized hospitals under the Capital Medical Group. Therefore, Sheng Bei believes that comprehensive, one-stop, and attentive service constitutes Youhe Clinic’s competitive advantage over other clinics. Traditional clinics can only address issues within their own facilities; when major examinations or inpatient surgeries are required, they have no choice but to refer patients elsewhere. In contrast, backed by the Capital Medical Group, Youhe Clinic can prioritize the treatment of such patients within the group’s specialized hospitals, while its general practitioners provide continuous follow-up care throughout the entire process.

“Starting with the general practitioner (GP) consultation, care ultimately returns to the GP. Regardless of whether referral to our own specialty outpatient clinics, expert consultations, surgical procedures, or inpatient treatment at the group’s specialized hospitals is required during this process, patients can eventually return to their GP. GPs provide comprehensive management of the entire patient journey, and Youhe has already established the necessary capabilities and platform to support this model.”

Sheng Bei believes that Youhe is building its clinical departments in a Lego-like modular fashion. In addition to the basic departments listed on its current clinic license—namely general practice, traditional Chinese medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, gynecology, stomatology, ophthalmology, and medical rehabilitation—Youhe Clinic has also established five specialized consultation centers: the Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, the Cerebrovascular Diagnosis and Treatment Center, the Diabetes Diagnosis and Treatment Center, the Sleep Monitoring and Consultation Center, and the Expert Consultation and International Imaging Consultation Center. Each medical service integrates general practitioners with specialists from public hospitals.

VCBeat has observed that Uhe Clinics exhibit distinctive characteristics in their site selection. The first clinic is located in Jiuxianqiao, adjacent to highly popular high-end shopping malls and supermarkets, with nearby business districts and upscale residential communities; the coverage area aligns closely with the clinic’s positioning. Subsequently, Uhe Clinics have expanded to locations including Financial Street, Wanliu, and the Central Business District (CBD). Notably, the clinics in Financial Street and the CBD primarily serve bustling commercial hubs.

Sheng Bei introduced that, in addition to serving household users, Youhe Clinic also develops products and services tailored for enterprises, taking into account the healthcare needs of both residents and businesses. Youhe has specifically launched “Family Medical Officer” and “Corporate Medical Officer” services for these two user groups.

In China, state-owned enterprises in the 1980s and 1990s each had their own infirmaries or factory hospitals. However, modern companies offer quite limited medical services to their employees, which is why Youhe Clinic also focuses on B2B services. Sheng Bei believes that a company is a large community; when providing medical services to it, penetrating down to the individual employees transforms them into smaller family units, which in turn drives the sales of Youhe Clinic’s family doctor services.

By the end of 2017, Youhe Clinic is expected to open multiple satellite clinics, dedicated to bringing family physicians, health consultants, and one-stop, attentive healthcare services directly into communities. Meanwhile, leveraging the robust medical resource advantages of Capital Medical Group, Youhe Clinic will also strive to build an integrated, collaborative healthcare ecosystem.