In 2009 my father, who had increasingly been caring for my mother during the past three years, called me from Florida and tearfully told me that he could no longer care for her without help. I had promised my dad that when the time came, he’d have my support. However, I was working 12-hour days running an investment business during a financial crisis and had no knowledge of the medical field. Moving my parents to Texas and replacing the primary doctors and the many specialists involved in their care was going to be difficult. I needed help. I learned of The Center for Executive Medicine (CEM) through D Magazine, and it seemed to be the right alternative.
I truly never knew that services like this were available. The doctors and their staff acted as the quarterback for my parents’ total care. As it turned out, my dad had issues, too. In fact, he needed a double bypass and an aortic valve replacement that I believe saved his life. Because of CEM, he had one of the best surgeons in the area…perhaps the country. In their first three months in Texas, both parents saw a number of specialists and their health stabilized. Mom had eye surgery for glaucoma in addition to myriad other issues and my father had open heart surgery. Beyond simply making referrals to specialists, the staff completed the paperwork and faxed it to the specialists’ offices. The doctors conferred with one another and agreed on a path for treatment. The records were centralized with CEM, and advice for completing appropriate physician’s directives and living wills was given. A better medicine management routine was put in place, avoiding dangerous drug interactions, and there were even occasions where the doctor or staff made house calls. There was no way my parents could have done this alone and no way I could have coordinated it all while holding down a job. They would have spent the rest of their lives in a waiting room, and I seriously would have needed a therapist.
The doctors and staff were on call 24/7. We could reach them directly. The doctor would frequently send us email updates explaining issues and advising next steps. While you never feel in control when a loved one’s health is in jeopardy, we always had 100% confidence it was being well managed because the communication was exceptional. They didn’t stop there. If my mother needed a few hours of care during the day, physical therapy, or occupational therapy, CEM knew the perfect person or practice. Even if she needed new teeth, they knew who to call. On that note, they even arranged for transportation to the fitting for her new teeth because my schedule was in the way. I had to be conditioned to think that there was no challenge CEM wouldn’t tackle because they would always find a way to get something done. It really went beyond medical. It was just care, period.
I knew I made the right decision when I brought my change-resistant, elderly parents to the doctor’s office for the first time. In the days prior, I had worked with the doctor and staff to gather my parents’ voluminous medical records from Florida. I provided names, addresses, and phone numbers, and they did the rest. At the first appointment, I was amazed to see that not only had the doctor read through those records, he had conferred with my parents’ former doctors and was prepared to spend whatever time necessary to fully evaluate their current needs. He was outstanding! I realize now that because he had a much smaller patient load than other doctors, he could devote the time. Needless to say, my parents left there feeling like royalty. They had grown cynical of doctors and medicine after having been treated something like cattle for so many years. The relief that I felt to have them leave that office genuinely liking the doctors and the staff was enormous. The hope and faith that had been restored in my father for his and my mother’s future was priceless.
Having seen the value of addressing health care proactively and now knowing first-hand what medical issues I might have inherited, I decided for myself, my wife, and my two children that an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I had always made excuses like I was too busy to go to the doctor. The truth is, it made me uncomfortable. I hate waiting and filling out forms, and I was conditioned to believe that you only get bad news from doctors. I know now how foolish that is and that taking a proactive and preventive approach to my health gives me great confidence. It’s funny how I had always felt it important and financially prudent to maintain my vehicle according to a schedule in order to avoid negative surprises. Why hadn’t my own health care been more important than a car? The convenience of CEM, the caring people, the personal connection that I feel to them because of how they have gone above and beyond to care for me and my family changed all that. I was not blessed with a trusted family member who is a doctor, but I’m confident I’ve found the next best thing. This is the best investment I ever made; one that I believe will pay out for generations.
Jim Moran