In today’s world it’s difficult to stay healthy. With busy schedules, it can be difficult to have an opportunity to go to the gym or even exercise. With a busy schedule it’s difficult to make time for a healthy meal. Our personal lives are consumed with our families and because of technology, now our work schedules are sometimes 24 hours a day, with people being able to be accessed anytime, anywhere through emails and text messaging. Executives today really never get a break and because of that, sometimes they don’t have time to really stop, take a breath and make sure they are healthy.
I am just as guilty of that as anyone. I typically work a minimum of six days a week and many times seven. I travel all over the world on a consistent basis, with meetings starting sometimes as early as 7 a.m. and ending after midnight.
I finally decided it was time to make sure I was healthy so I took a look at how my busy schedule affected my health. So, when traveling to Las Vegas a few months ago for site tours of hotels for our 2013 Medical Tourism Congress, The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) set apart a few hours in our busy site tour schedule to undergo executive physicals.
This was my first and I was excited to see what Las Vegas had to offer in the area of wellness. I can’t think of a better place, as one of the top tourism destinations in the U.S. and the world, and the opportunity for visitors coming to Vegas whether for tourism or conventions, to mix their trip with an executive wellness checkup.
An Executive physical is something I believe every person should have, whether they are an executive or not. An Executive physical is tailored to fit each individual’s needs and every patient walks away with a complete and total health evaluation including a comprehensive diagnostic report card, which will provide guidelines and educational information to modify or mitigate any potential health risks.
An Executive physical can detect health issues individuals just don’t know about such as; cancer, tumors, diabetes, heart problems and a number of other things. If caught early enough the patient could start being treated and possibly decrease the need for more extensive care.
The price can range from $1,500-$6,000 per executive physical. Our executive physical took place at the K | E Centers for Advanced Medicine located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our evaluation was coordinated before we even arrived, and the executive physicals were performed in a spa-like setting.
- What did I get to experience during my physical?
- Physical exam (routine vital signs)
- Review of patient medical history
- Family history medical review
- Lab assessments
- Urinalysis
- Occult blood test (colon cancer)
- Complete blood count
- Chest x-ray (lung cancer or disease)
- Lipid panel (HDL/LDL cholesterol)
- Thyroid stimulating hormone
- Cardiac C-reactive protein
- Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy
- Prostate-specific antigen (for men)
- Hearing test
- Vision test
- EKG
- Exercise tolerance test (stress test)
- Carotid artery ITM ultrasound
- Screening ultrasound for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
- Screening for PAD by Ankle-Brachial Index
- Body fat assessment
- Pulmonary function test
- Skin evaluation
- Nutrition review with dietician
- Customized nutrition recommendations
- Guide to supplements
- Fitness consultation
- Customized exercise program based on individual goals
- Stress management evaluation
- Summary conference with physician
Interestingly, many large companies are offering this to their executives because it makes financial sense. An executive who is out of the office on medical leave can cost companies significantly in lost productivity and time.
In one study a few years ago conducted by the University of Michigan Management Research Center, the findings showed that executives who underwent physical exams had 20 percent fewer health claims and lost 45 percent fewer workdays than those who did not.
I personally would recommend an executive physical to anyone. It really gives you guidance on an overview of your complete health, both body and mind and it helps you understand what areas you are doing well in and what areas you need to improve.
I am happy to say I excelled at the cardiac stress test. The peace of mind of going through the executive physical really made a difference; I know if I did have a serious medical condition it would have been caught earlier through an executive physical.
I definitely want to thank the LVCVA and congratulate them on their great support and growth of the health and wellness sector in Las Vegas and Nevada.
About the Author
Renée-Marie Stephano is the President of the Medical Tourism Association™. Ms. Stephano is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Tourism Magazine, Health Tourism Magazine and Healthcare Development Magazine. Having a background in international marketing and relations, health law and litigation, she provides a valuable service to the Medical Tourism Association™ in these fields. She may be reached at Renee@MedicalTourismAssociation.com.
