Hoag refines Compass program, focusing on proactive health
A compass is a device used for navigation.
Hoag Compass, a mobile application and physical location at the Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center in Newport Beach, seeks to help patients navigate their health.
The program was started in 2022 and a revamped version was rolled out in May, said Thomas Katavic, Hoag head of product and design.
He said the first version of the offering, dubbed “Compass 1.0” internally, was too much of a choose-your-own-adventure setup for patients, where they had to determine what they wanted out of it.
“For this new version of the product, we said that it needs to be a lot more packaged, so it’s almost like an off-the-shelf good,” Katavic said. “You know exactly what you’re getting and when.”
“Compass 2.0” is about halfway to its panel size of 1,000 for head physician Dr. Tracy Pantig and her clinical team, Katavic said, a goal that Hoag is seeking to reach by the end of the year.
The program costs $99 a month and is available to anyone 18 or older. Commercial insurance is accepted for typical primary care things like doctor’s visits and lab work, but not for membership fees.
For that cost, Hoag Compass promises testing for more than 100 biomarkers across areas of the body, including heart, inflammation, blood, metabolism, stress regulation and kidney health.
The wellness program also offers nutrigenomic DNA testing, health coaching, mental health support and integrated connection and referrals to Hoag’s renowned specialists. Retesting occurs more often, too, every three to six months.
Hoag has stated that it aims to make Orange County a top 10 healthiest county in the nation through Hoag Compass, by focusing on proactive health. The county is currently ranked No. 36 on the list, according to MarketWatch.
Pantig’s team at the Newport Beach office includes nurse practitioner Monica Toten and health coach and nutritionist Ashley Pettengill, who have been on board since December and January, respectively.
“I think a lot of people are used to seeing their doctor once a year, doing their annual exam, hitting those markers,” Pantig said. “When you come here, it is more personalized. You get to meet various parts of the team that are very important, your care coordinators, Monica, Ashley, myself. I do pride myself in actually knowing our patients, who they are and their lives, really focusing on the things that are important to them regardless of what their labs are and all of that sort of stuff. I think that’s one component of their health, but that’s not their whole component.”
In-app messaging with the entire care team is offered, as well as virtual or physical office visits.
Hoag Compass patient Hasaam Sheikh, 30, recently had a virtual visit with Pettengill as he was away on business in New York. Sheikh, who lives in Irvine, said he appreciates the personalized approach.
“Everyone that I speak to at Hoag Compass, whether it be a health coach or a nurse or even the physician for an office visit, they’ve all spoken to each other and have access to my chart and data on the back end,” Sheikh said. “I think they do a lot of prep work, so if I have a question, all of them have the ability to answer and/or direct those questions to the right folks. For me, it seems like this team-based approach that’s helping me live my best life.”
Toten said the practice focuses on four main pillars: optimizing your nutrition, your emotional health, your movement or exercise and your sleep.
Visits with Pettengill can go beyond simple physical health, she said.
“It could be a mom that’s overwhelmed, who feels like she has no help or time for herself,” Pettengill said. “That nutrition visit can turn into today, you just [make an] affirmation to take five minutes of alone time, or ask for more delegation of tasks to be on someone else, so that way you can refill your cup. I think they’re surprised that we get into that.
“With every person, it’s very individual. One person comes in and they have trauma from the past, and that plays a big role in how their relationship is with their food. That’s something that you’re looking at. How does how you feel about a certain food make you feel, how are you changing your diet to help you sleep? It’s not giving everyone the same nutrition advice.”
Katavic said Hoag Compass appeals to a younger demographic, like Sheikh, who connects well with the app-based product.
The average patient age is currently 38, he said, though there is a secondary bump in the 60- to 70-year-old age range.
“We know that almost 50% of folks ages 20 to 50 don’t have a [primary care provider], or they have one, but they don’t utilize them,” Katavic said. “They just go to urgent care when they need, and if they have PPO insurance plans, they go straight to specialists. What it means is we’re finally making inroads with folks in that age group by giving them a version of care that they actually care about. They’re like, ‘That speaks to me.’”
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