The Executive Physical: Everything You Need to Know

Long days at the office, critical meetings, frequent travel. On-the-go senior-level professionals are often too preoccupied with work to give proper attention to their health.

But through concierge medicine, there’s a convenient way for hard-working executives (and other busy people!) to prioritize wellness: the executive physical.

Essentially an intensive “day of health,” the executive physical is a comprehensive wellness check that provides a thorough medical evaluation, plus a range of screening tests and referrals, within a single visit.

The executive physical aims to prevent potential health issues or detect them early. These aims are pivotal to a patient’s healthful future:

• Preventive care is the first step in a well-managed health journey.
• Early detection leads to more effective, less invasive health interventions with better outcomes.

Today, many organizations encourage their key players to schedule an executive physical. It’s a sensible and responsible way for a company to preserve the wellness and productivity of its top-level talent.

What Does an Executive Physical Cover?

At most primary care practices, an annual physical is a fundamental workup based on age and gender. For example, a 45-year-old man who comes in for a standard checkup gets basic blood work and maybe a urinalysis, a routine vaccination, or the scheduling of a health-maintenance item like a colonoscopy.

But an executive physical at Signature Healthcare goes well beyond basic screenings or baseline assessments. Your dedicated concierge doctor first orders pre-checkup bloodwork. Then you complete several visits’ worth of testing and evaluation all in one comprehensive appointment.

The Signature Healthcare physician spends an average of 90 minutes (about three times longer than a routine physical) to examine you and review your health. The doctor may call for a range of specialized diagnostics — a hearing evaluation, an electrocardiogram, an advanced blood lipid panel, or even multi-cancer detection screening.

Following your executive physical, your concierge doctor sends you a thorough summary of your test results, including any follow-up action for you or the doctor. As needed, they also provide referrals to a suitable physical therapist, specialist, or testing facility.

What Makes the Executive Physical So Efficient?

With just a brief investment of a patient’s time, the executive physical gives a reliable, holistic view of that patient’s health far beyond the scope of a workup at a conventional primary care practice.

Here’s why it’s an efficient part of our healthcare toolkit:

The executive physical saves time for busy professionals.

A common complaint among busy professionals is difficulty scheduling time with a doctor when they need it. At Signature, whether your need is urgent or preventive, you get immediate attention… plus a cup of the best coffee in Charlotte.

Many executives (and others with demanding schedules) appreciate the ease and comfort of completing a full, comprehensive physical exam within a speedy timeframe.

The executive physical maps a personalized plan.

In an executive physical, there’s no “typical” patient or standardized approach. Everyone’s health profile is unique.

Based on the results of your annual executive physical, the Signature Healthcare Executive Wellness Program (EWP) creates a plan tailored to your needs and preferences. We may recommend specific lifestyle modifications or preventive measures like nutrition, exercise, stress management, or multi-cancer early detection, along with a roadmap for your ongoing care.

Ongoing Care Is Our Gold Standard

Continuity of care is vital. With the wealth of information from your executive physical, your Signature physician has the context to give personalized attention to your preventive care and health goals for years to come.

Some companies send their key players to a renowned establishment, like the Mayo Clinic, for a first-rate executive physical. But a month later, what if one of those executives develops serious stomach pain in the middle of the night? Will they fly back to Mayo for evaluation? Is a dedicated doctor available to them there? Not likely.

If you feel urgent pain, you need personal attention from a local physician you trust — ideally, one who knows your entire health history and can respond to your needs instantly. That’s why the doctor who conducts your executive physical shouldn’t be someone you’ll never see again. It should be your concierge doctor.

The Signature Healthcare Executive Wellness Program (EWP) is our dedicated concierge medical service for executives. EWP members receive immediate, personalized, in-depth preventive care and care coordination — without red tape.

You reach a real doctor 24/7, not an answering service. The on-call physician guides you through the urgency or emergency. Then your doctor, who has the results of your complete executive physical, sees you in the morning for the next steps.

A Healthy You Is Good for Your Company, Too

Many senior-level professionals realize that if their health is managed well, they’re more productive on the job, which benefits their company, too. Employers, too, understand that healthy leaders are integral to their organization’s success.

Signature Healthcare’s combination of an annual executive physical and regular concierge care helps executives operate at their physical and mental best in the workplace. And when a company invests in its employees’ health, those workers tend to not only perform better but also stick with the company longer as well.

We believe it’s essential for executives to take a deeper dive into comprehensive healthcare with the executive physical and the Executive Wellness Program. It’s immediate and continuous care from physicians you trust and who know you well.

(Not an executive? If you request an executive physical, Signature Healthcare will still treat you like one!)

Contact us for a chat about our Executive Wellness Program and executive physical. And yes, about the coffee, too.