A compass is a device used for navigation.
Hoag Compass is a mobile application and physical location at the Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center in Newport Beach that aims to help patients manage their health.
The program will launch in 2022, with an improved version announced in May, said Thomas Katavik, Hoag's director of product and design.
He said the first version, called “Compass 1.0” internally, was a choose-your-own-adventure setup, where patients had to decide for themselves what they wanted.
“We said with this new version of the product, we need to have more packaging and make it almost like a ready-made product,” Katavik says, “so you know exactly what you're getting and when.”
Katavik said Compass 2.0 is about halfway to reaching a panel size of 1,000, led by lead investigator Dr. Tracy Pantig and her clinical team, and Hoag hopes to reach that goal by the end of the year.
Tracy Pantig, a family medicine physician at Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center in Newport Beach;
(Don Leach/Staff Photographer)
The program costs $99 a month and is open to anyone over the age of 18. Private insurance can be used to cover general primary care such as doctor visits and lab tests, but not membership fees.
For that cost, Hoag Compass promises testing for more than 100 biomarkers across multiple parts of the body, including cardiac, inflammation, blood, metabolism, stress regulation and kidney health.
The wellness program also offers nutritional genomic DNA testing, health coaching, mental health support, and integrative connections and referrals to Hoag’s renowned experts, with frequent re-tests every 3-6 months.
By focusing on proactive health management, Hoag said he aims to help make Orange County, through Hoag Compass, one of the top 10 healthiest counties in the nation. The county currently ranks 36th on that list, according to MarketWatch.
Pantig's team in the Newport Beach office includes nurse practitioner Monica Toten and health coach and nutritionist Ashley Pettengill, who joined in December and January, respectively.
“I think a lot of people are used to seeing their doctor once a year, getting their regular checkups and meeting their baseline numbers,” Pantig says. “When they come here, it's more individualized. They get to meet different members of the team, who are really important, including our care coordinators Monica, Ashley and myself. I really pride myself on getting to know our planet, who they are, their lives and really focusing on what's important to them, regardless of their test results and all that. I think that's one component of their health, but it's not all about them.”
In-app messaging with your entire care team is offered, as well as virtual or in-person office visits.
The lobby of the Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center in Newport Beach.
(Don Leach/Staff Photographer)
Hog Compass patient Hussam Sheikh, 30, met virtually with Pettengill during a recent business trip to New York. The Irvine resident said he appreciated the personalized attention.
“Everyone I speak to at Hog Compass, whether it's my health coach, my nurses, or my doctors, they're all in touch with each other and have access to my charts and data on the back end,” Sheikh says. “They've done so much prep work that if I have a question, they can all answer it or direct it to the right person. For me, this team-based approach seems to help me live my best life.”
Toten said the practice focuses on four main pillars: nutrition, mental health, movement or exercise and sleep optimization.
Meeting with Pettengill could be about more than just physical health, she said.
“Moms may be feeling overwhelmed, feeling like they don't have the support or the time for themselves,” Pettengill says. “That nutritional consultation could be the answer today. Just declaring that you're going to take five minutes of alone time or asking others to delegate more tasks can help fill your cup. I think moms are surprised when we find ourselves in that situation.”
“Each person, it's very individual. Some people have past trauma that plays a big role in their relationship with food. It's something you look at; how they feel about certain foods, how they change their diet to help with sleep. You don't give the same nutrition advice to everyone.”
Dr. Tracy Pantig, life coach Ashley Pettengill and nurse practitioner Monica Toten at Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center in Newport Beach;
(Don Leach/Staff Photographer)
Katavik said Hoag Compass will appeal to a younger generation who, like Sheikh, have an affinity for app-based products.
The average age of patients is currently 38, but there has been a secondary increase in the 60 to 70 year old age group.
“We know that roughly 50 percent of people between the ages of 20 and 50 either don't have a[family doctor]or don't use it,” Katavik says. “They go to urgent care when they need it, they go directly to a specialist if they have a PPO insurance plan. So we're finally reaching this age group by giving them the care they really need. They're saying, 'This resonates with me.'”
