The pandemic has heightened individuals' interest in protecting their health.
It has also caused hospital systems to reevaluate their services to keep their communities healthy. Becker's Hospital Review recently spoke about executive health with John E. Schmidt, MDVIP's executive director, health systems.
MDVIP is a leader in personalized, preventive care with a national network of more than 1,100 primary care physicians. MDVIP has twice been named a top 10 executive health program by Worth and a top seven executive health program for women.
Note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What trends do you see in executive health?
JS: COVID has elevated the focus on corporate wellness benefits and reinforced the importance of companies investing in the health of their executives. It has raised awareness that comprehensive, preventive primary care is vital to maintaining health.
Another trend is that service convenience is a critical factor influencing healthcare choices. Business leaders have demanding schedules where time is money. They want value that works with their busy lives.
Q: Do you see more organizations adding executive health as a benefit?
JS: That’s what MDVIP is experiencing. In fact, executive health isn't just for the Wall Street crowd or a Fortune 500 CEO. It is for individuals and companies who want to be proactive and invest in their most important asset - better health – that’s foundational to a productive workforce. Furthermore, as companies continue to expand through mergers, acquisitions and natural growth, the geographic base of their executives has expanded as well. An executive health benefit can be part of a competitive recruitment and retention tool for corporations.
Q: Why should a health system investigate offering an executive health program?
JS: Many local businesspeople may already be participating in some form of an executive health program but have had to leave your hospital system to get what they are looking for, which means their dollars are going elsewhere. Partnering with your business community to offer a valuable, convenient service is a way to attract new patients and also provide for their specialty care needs. Additionally, the annual fees associated with MDVIP’s executive health program are a reliable source of currently uncaptured revenue.
Q: Why should a health system partner with an organization like MDVIP and integrate an executive health program rather than build it themselves from scratch?
JS: A health system has limited resources and multiple competing priorities, and its expertise is taking care of patients. It requires significant time and money to start an executive health program and make it successful.
MDVIP, as an industry leader in executive health with over 20 years of experience, has a turnkey solution that enables health systems to operationalize this new service line more quickly and efficiently.
A unique benefit to working with MDVIP is the company's national footprint. Individuals in MDVIP's executive health program who have medical concerns while traveling may be seen by one of our 1,100+ affiliated physicians. Integrating MDVIP's executive health program frees up a hospital system to focus on other strategic initiatives, while expanding the reach of executive health resources.
Q: What are the advantages to having a PCP provide an executive health program to his/her patients?
JS: Often today, an executive physical is a one-time event performed by an outside provider yielding a medical snapshot. But when offered as a health system service and packaged with MDVIP’s personalized, preventive care program, is it a way to build trusted, ongoing relationships between patients and your primary care physicians. It’s also just better for medical continuity, plus more convenient for busy executives, to have the same physician deliver your once-a-year physical and be available to attend to your year-round primary care needs. Instead of an isolated exam, an executive health program is an entryway for health systems to meet a growing consumer need that spans primary and specialty care.
Conclusion
Executive health is a comprehensive, preventive, proactive approach to care designed to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. For hospital organizations, it is a valuable service that attracts and retains patients within the system, diversifies revenue sources and strengthens your competitive advantage, while importantly improving health and outcomes. It doesn’t make sense to reinvent the wheel when you can seamlessly implement a proven model by partnering with MDVIP.