What Health Advisors Do and Why Creativity Matters in Healthcare

This week, I was named to the Forbes Next 1000 list of American entrepreneurs. I’m thrilled to be included, because many people are still unfamiliar with the concept of health advisory, and I hope this will shine some light on the industry.

I’m often asked, “What does a health advisor do?” A few years ago, a client summed it up this way: "You're like Ray Donovan." At the time, I had never seen Ray Donovan, but as I started watching the Showtime TV show, I understood what he meant.

Liev Schreiber plays Ray Donovan, a professional "fixer" for celebrity clients. When his clients are in trouble, Donovan finds creative solutions to make their problems go away. Health advisors take a similar creative approach to problem-solving (though unlike Ray Donovan, we do it without breaking any laws).

Why Hire a Health Advisor?

Health advisors put their healthcare expertise, as well as the deep knowledge of everyone on their team, to work for you. They have a wide network of medical professionals they can reach out to for additional guidance or to help you get the care you need.

Even when a problem seems unsurmountable, a health advisor can offer a fresh perspective and innovative ideas. They start by getting to know you and looking at the big picture — your overall health. From there, they connect you with an expert medical team, coordinate your care, and offer personal support every step of the way.

Many medical experts are specialists who focus on one aspect of a patient’s health. For example, a cardiologist thinks in terms of the heart, while a pulmonologist focuses on lungs. Complex health issues may benefit from a health advisor's comprehensive and collaborative approach.

Navigating Around Healthcare Roadblocks

When you're not sure how to manage a healthcare issue, a health advisor may be able to look at it from a new angle. Here are a few examples from my work with Better Health Advisors:

We had a client in a nursing home that had a very limited supply of the Covid vaccine. Her family wanted her vaccinated ASAP, but the staff wasn’t sure when they'd be able to do it. They suggested taking her to an outside doctor, but her family had concerns about her safety.
Solution: We arranged for a pharmacist to visit the nursing home and vaccinate her there.

A client considering her treatment options wanted to know if she was eligible for a clinical trial. Her hospital gave her a list of the trials they were currently running, but they didn't have information about trials happening elsewhere.
Solution: We hired an outside researcher to conduct a search for clinical trials that met her needs. Based on that research, we were able to offer her dozens of options and discuss the pros and cons of each in detail.

A young man with severe depression and suicidal thoughts was resistant to checking into a hospital. He wanted to continue taking college classes and try to live a normal life, but needed ongoing mental health support.
Solution: We arranged for a home companion to spend time with him so that he could avoid hospitalization.

If you or a loved one is coping with a health issue and you're unsure how to proceed, reach out to an expert health advisor.