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Technology + the Human Touch: Hoag Compass Will Transform Patients’ Health Care Experiences

Newport Beach, Calif. (May 19, 2022) – Hoag recently launched a new digital health care delivery system designed to complement and transform patients’ health care experiences. Hoag Compass, an innovative mobile app, enables patients to experience continuous personal care through app-based scheduling and convenient access to primary care physicians, care coordinators, health coaches, exercise specialists, registered dieticians, mindfulness coaches and more.

The app is currently being piloted at the Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center, the new state-of-the-art facility located in Newport Beach that goes beyond traditional health care with its integrated digital experience.

Hoag Compass Plus, a $50/month membership service, allows patients access to an on-demand, expanded care team, wellness visits with dedicated health coaches, personalized care plans, urgent care support, the on-site premier lounge and more. A free version of the app is also available allowing patients to schedule virtual or in-office visits, message their physicians, review health records, check lab results, request a prescription refill and more.

“We are changing the traditional trajectory and mindset of health and wellness from one of episodic care – care only when you need it – to a holistic, uninterrupted and ingrained part of a person’s life,” said Robert T. Braithwaite, president and CEO of Hoag. “Hoag is known for being an innovative hospital. With the launch of Hoag Compass, we are looking forward to partnering with patients who want their health and well-being to be integral to their daily lives. This is an opportunity for our patients to help shape how health care is delivered in the future.”

Braithwaite continued, “Integrating the digital experience with the world-class care Hoag is known for will give our patients an entirely new health care experience, one in which they each feel known and understood. The experience will be seamless and efficient, and, best of all, personalized for a new generation of patients.”

Physicians at Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center include Anne Ray, M.D., and Stephen Yu, M.D., along with the comprehensive team of care coordinators and health and wellness coaches for nutrition, mindfulness and exercise.

“The key to truly excellent patient care is to listen deeply to what they are saying. By creating this platform with easy-to-access communication options, we can better partner with our patients on their healthcare journey and address what is most important to them,” said Dr. Ray, the lead primary care physician at the new Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center. “This new model allows us to use a hybrid of tailored, in-person experiences with smart technology to meet patients where they are and provide evidence-based solutions and comprehensive support that really fit their healthcare and lifestyle needs and desires. We’re here to change healthcare for the better.” 

Both the no-fee and membership models provide patients with the high-quality care they associate with Hoag, in addition to new services including paperless check-in, in-clinic lab services, pharmacy delivery options and community events led by the center’s care team. 

“This is the next generation of personalized care that is not only tailored to the person’s medical profile but also to their lifestyle,” said Dr. Yu a family medicine physician who will see patients out of the new center. “It’s designed to make health care more accessible and empowers patients to ‘own’ their health care.”

The new center powerfully blends the time-saving advantages of technology with the care and comfort of the human connection, transforming the way patients have until now interacted with the health care profession. Hoag’s digital team is located in the basement level of the center where they are testing and scaling digital experiences to seamlessly and organically connect patients with providers and care team members.

“We designed this platform to create an impactful, on-demand care offering that traverses the physical and digital spheres,” said Thomas Katavic, head of digital products for Hoag. “We are constantly doing research and exploring ways we can continue to improve our care delivery model and enhance the patient experience.”

Hoag Compass Plus members will have access to an even greater range of services that may not be covered by insurance, including:

  • A personal care coordinator who helps navigate all health care logistics including referrals and questions for physicians/care teams with extended hours on weekdays (10 p.m.) and availability on weekends (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.).
  • Access to personalized care plans within the mobile application, centered around nutrition, exercise and mindfulness recommendations. These recommendations are created by the patient’s entire team, including their primary care physician, a registered dietitian and exercise and mindfulness coaches. The team can be accessed for live chats or text via the Hoag Compass app or available for in office visits.
  • Back-channeled access to urgent care, both in-person and via telehealth visits, facilitated by care coordinators during the extended hours.
  • Access to the Premier Lounge at the center so patients can relax and enjoy the amenity bar.

The Hoag On-Demand Care & Innovation Center is located at 4699 Jamboree Road in Newport Beach and accepts a wide variety of PPO, HMO, and Medicare plans. Within the membership model, the monthly membership fee does not cover medical appointments, which will continue to be billed as normal per the patient’s insurance plan.

Patients can begin booking new patient appointments with either Drs. Ray or Yu via Hoag Compass app – available in the Apple App store, by calling 949-557-0951 or visiting hoag.org/compass.

ABOUT HOAG

Hoag is a nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients and 460,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals – Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to 10 health centers and 14 urgent care centers. Hoag has invested $261 million in programs and services to support the underserved community within the past five years, including areas like mental health, homelessness, transportation for seniors, education, and support for single mothers. Hoag is a designated Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes six institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, digestive health, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and four ambulatory surgical centers. In the 2021-2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Rankings, Hoag is the highest ranked hospital in Orange County and the only OC hospital ranked in the Top 10 in California. For an unprecedented 23 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.

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