Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with John Connolly - Co-Founder and Non-Executive Chairman, Dean McElwain - Co-Founder, President and CEO, and Susan Greeley - Senior Vice President and Director of Wellness Services of Castle Connolly Private Health Partners, located in New York, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

John:
I am the Co-Founder and Chairman of Castle Connolly Private Health Partners (CCPHP), which was developed to be the platform of choice for current and future concierge physicians and patients by delivering an unrivaled experience of comprehensive, collaborative, and attentive care.

CCPHP partners with physicians who are battling insurmountable workloads and burnout due to the current industry standard of transactional care, a model which requires high volume versus, and often at the expense of, high quality. Our organization also aims to support patient Members, helping them to live healthier, happier lives through lifestyle changes.

Dean:
I am the Co-Founder, President, and C.E.O. of Castle Connolly Private Health Partners (C.C.P.H.P.), an organization that aims to improve how physicians practice medicine and how patients receive care through the concierge (membership-based) model. We partner with physicians who are interested in entering into or evolving within concierge medicine. We equip them with the tools they need to practice medicine in a truly patient-centered way without burnout and excessive workload.

Under the T.H.R.I.V.E. model, which stands for transformational, high-touch, robust, independent, versatile, and empowered, physicians are enabled to transform their practice through a return to the core reasons they chose to practice medicine in the first place. Our physician partners are offered thorough support, including practice analysis, business planning, comprehensive marketing, Member recruitment, Membership billing and administrative services, ongoing Member and office support, telemedicine platform support, SENS Solution® Wellness Program, education and Member engagement, and succession planning.

Susan:
I am SVP and Director of Wellness Services at Castle Connolly Private Health Partners (CCPHP), a concierge medicine organization, where I run the SENS Solution® Wellness Program focused on four wellness pillars: sleep, exercise, nutrition, and stress management.

Our customers are both doctors and their patients who become our Members. My work is to empower and inspire all of our patient Members (and physicians) to live happier, healthier lives through lifestyle changes. This may occur through one-on-one health coaching with one of our board-certified health and wellness coaches, webinars featuring world-renowned health coaches, or blog posts on current and important wellness information.

Tell us about yourself

John:
Throughout my life, I have learned to believe that the current healthcare landscape has vast opportunities for improvement. With overworked physicians left no choice but to rush care and forego quality in order to sustain their practice, and patients falling through the cracks and receiving only reactionary medicine as a result. I was unsatisfied with this worsening pattern, so I became passionate about providing physicians with the tools they needed to break it. A dedication to improving quality in medicine has always been one of my guiding principles. Before establishing CCPHP, John K. Castle and I founded Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., publisher of America’s Top Doctors® and other consumer guides to help people find the best healthcare.

Earlier in my career, I served as President of New York Medical College, the nation’s second-largest private medical college, for more than ten years. I am a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences. I’ve served as a Director of the Northeast Business Group on Health for 25 years. I have served as a trustee of two hospitals and as Chairman of the Board of one.

Dean:
I am passionate about acting as a catalyst for change through transformational leadership. Through innovation and vision, I believe we can make lasting changes to the healthcare space for the better. Physicians and patients deserve more from the healthcare systems they are a part of, and it is my mission to help improve the quality of care and health outcomes.

Health and wellness have always been at the core of my motivations. I have been a progressive leader in the industry for over 35 years in a variety of healthcare settings. I have my professional doctorate (D.P.T.) from Simmons College Graduate School for Health Studies, where I specialize in healthcare administration. I also consider myself a lifelong endurance athlete and a leader in the areas of health coaching, wellness, and human performance.

Susan:
It is my mission to help others through wellness and to make the world a healthier place. I have always had a passion for nutrition and exercise, and I grew up knowing the connection between diet/lifestyle and your health.

I have nearly 30 years of experience as a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and health and wellness professional. I love engaging with diverse experts in the wellness space, and I often have the opportunity to do so as the host of A SENSe of Wellness Podcast.

I am the author of a diet/cookbook, “Cooking with Trader Joe’s: Lighten Up!” and have acted as the creator and talent for two television cooking series: “Lighten Up with Susan Greeley” and “Simply Healthy.” I am passionate about helping people make positive changes to live better and longer!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

John:
CCPHP works with physicians who are considered excellent. Those who already go above and beyond to provide the best care possible, with their patients at the center of all that they do. When these exceptional care providers choose to transition to the concierge model with CCPHP, and they begin to realize the impacts on their patients and themselves, they uncover a whole new standard of quality and fulfillment as they practice. My biggest accomplishments are achieved when I hear from partner physicians who tell me that their desired work-life balance has been achieved, they have rediscovered a deep love for their craft, they are able to spend more time doing research or diagnostics, and their patients are thriving as a result.

Dean:
As a leader in the healthcare space, I feel most gratified when I hear and see the success stories of the people we set out to help. When I learn that our partner physicians are thriving under our sustainable concierge model, when I learn that they feel supported and confident in their ability to provide care, that is incredibly valuable. Also, when I see cases of our Members feeling empowered and inspired to achieve their health and wellness goals through the SENS Solution Wellness program, I am proud and honored to have the opportunity to play a small role in improving their health.

Susan:
I feel most accomplished as a leader in the wellness space when I hear stories of Member successes. It is an incredibly gratifying and humbling experience when I check the progress of a Member that we’ve worked with for years and see the strides that they have made through their hard work and a solid support system. Whether their goal is to lose weight and keep it off, eat a more nutritious diet, sleep better, or manage their stress, helping Members reach their goals and improve their life and well-being is a wonderful win for all involved.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

John:
One of the most important components of healthcare is innovation. In this industry, where new tools and standards are constantly evolving, it is important to stay on top of the different avenues for our physicians to take advantage of to ensure they are providing concierge care in the most effective way possible. Staying on top of the latest technology trends is important and slightly challenging at times due to the rapid advancements in this industry.

Dean:
One tough part about being an entrepreneurial leader can be to create buy-in for innovative efforts. It is important to surround yourself with individuals who are realistic, thoughtful, and thorough, as well as those who are flexible in their ideas and have an open vision for change and improvement.

Susan:
One tough part about being a leader in the wellness space is taking the time to prioritize your own well-being. It’s a very important and special role to try and help others, so much so that it becomes easy to focus primarily on the health of other people. It’s important for me to regularly check in with myself to make sure I am walking the wellness walk and practicing what I preach!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

John:

  1. Stay true to your core beliefs and values. Your passions are likely what brought you to want to become a business owner. Never lose sight of your guiding mission.
  2. Never stop seeking change. Entrepreneurship is about seeing an opportunity to make a positive difference and then putting in the work to make it happen. Never stop analyzing the world to think about how things could be better.
  3. Differentiate yourself. Set yourself apart and add value to your industry by honing in on your strengths and making them count. Don’t aim to do what your competitors are doing; aim to be different and aim to be better.

Dean:

  1. Don’t Get too high… Don’t Get low. Words to live by from Kipling: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.”
  2. Make time to eliminate the “Noise” Every problem usually has a solution. You just need time and focus on uncovering that answer. Create a routine where you block out distractions and can internally explore the possible answers. Do this daily!
  3. Be flexible. Nothing in business is static. Creative problem-solving is your most valuable tool. Don’t be afraid to “build it while you fly” and adjust in real-time.

Susan:
1. Know your superpower.
No two people or businesses are the same. Know what makes you unique, and be confident in using that special edge to your advantage.

2. Lead with empathy and compassion.

3. Persevere. When you make a mistake, be kind enough to yourself to learn from it and try again.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ccphp.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/castleconnollyprivatehealthpartners/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccphp.llc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccphpllc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/castle-connolly-private-health-partners/

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