Early prevention and a one-stop shop approach to health care make sense ” if one can afford it.
The Scripps Center for Executive Health on Genesee Avenue will celebrate 25 years of providing such service. The center offers daylong, multi-diagnostic check-ups to top executives and anyone else seeking early prevention.
“It’s especially for people who are health-conscious and looking for an alterative to an annual physical exam other than managed care,” Executive Director Laura Johnson said.
Specialists in gastroenterology, dermatology, radiology and ” if necessary ” cardiology, examine patients, who also undergo hearing and vision exams, a urinalysis and occult test to detect bowel and kidney disease, a skin evaluation, an internal chemistry analysis to identify heart disease progression and other exams.
“What we could do in one day could take weeks or months if someone was to schedule them on their own,” Johnson said.
Doctors pride themselves on examining the patient for more than 12 minutes, the length of a routine, annual physical, Johnson said.
A first-time, standard check-up costs approximately $2,500, although cost varies depending on the person. A follow-up exam usually costs half the amount, as not all exams are required each year.
Seeking the same extent of review from numerous physicians would be far more expensive than a check-up at Executive Health, Johnson said.
Patients over age 40 are recommended to receive an annual check-up, although some patients chose to visit the center every five or 10 years.
“Some people see it as a one-time, 500,000-mile check-up,” Johnson said.
Services are offered on a fee-for-service basis, so it’s up to the patients to contact their insurance companies to determine if the care is covered. Referrals are not necessary and the patients’ physicians recognize the results. It cuts through the red tape, Johnson said.
Proactive health care has grown over the past 25 years. Patients are younger and the number of exams has increased by 100 percent. Corporations are sending their entire executive board through the center, not just their Chief Executive Officer, Johnson said.
“This is much more of a partnership between the patient and physician,” Johnson said. “The patents are taking an active role in their own health.”
To contact Scripps Center for Executive Health, 9850 Genesee Ave., call (858) 626-4460.