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Signify Health’s chief medical officer, Heidi Schwarzwald, MD, MPH, provides strategic leadership for Signify Health’s nationwide clinician network by championing clinical excellence in In-Home Health Evaluations (IHEs); shapes Signify Health’s clinical vision, overseeing quality and safety initiatives; and supports new product development. 

Recently, Dr. Schwarzwald authored a white paper on the innovative ways Signify Health is helping providers and health plans detect dementia earlier, supporting intervention and care planning. 

In, “Why the Home is an Ideal Setting for Dementia Detection and Care Planning,” Dr. Schwarzwald asserts that the home is often a more effective and revealing setting for identifying cognitive impairment. In the paper, she details recent developments in earlier detection and substantiates her findings with data collected from Signify Health’s national network of more than 11,000 licensed clinicians (composed of physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners). 

The paper is significant and timely with dementia being identified as a rising public health challenge. Currently, an estimated 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older are affected. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, accounts for 60% to 80% of all cases¹.

Following the publication of her paper, we sat down with Dr. Schwarzwald to learn more.

We’ve long thought of the doctor’s office as the center of health care. What does it mean to rethink the home setting as one of the most important places for detecting cognitive decline? 

I think about a member I saw recently in his home. He is a retired lawyer and would go to his doctors appointments and pass cognitive testing pretty easily. With his level of education and focus on “getting a good score,” he did well. 

But in his home and with his spouse, I could start to see the subtle signs of decline. His conversation would drift a bit between past and present. He was forgetting dates, and while he packed his medication pill box weekly and managed to take them as prescribed, his wife was reminding him and ensuring he complied more then I think either of them were aware. These early changes may be missed in an office setting, but can be more readily seen in the home.

For Evgeniya (Ev) Berger, ARNP, DNP, every in-home visit begins with the same intention: Meet the health plan member where they are.

As a nurse practitioner with more than 20 years of clinical experience, including many years seeing people in their homes, Jaszmin Gray has learned that each visit is an opportunity to see a more well-rounded picture of a person’s health.

Are you interested in a career as a physician assistant (PA)? PAs have plenty of clinical and non-clinical options within the field, spanning direct patient care, research, education, in-home health services and more. Plus, with additional certifications or experience, you can move between specialties or explore new settings throughout your career.

For nurse practitioner Ikran Hussein, working for Signify Health offers more than just the opportunity to make a difference for health plan members. Her part-time role allows her to juggle the responsibilities of a meaningful career while keeping up with her young children.  
 
"What I like most about Signify Health, after the time I get to spend with members, is the flexible schedule. I can put my child on the bus and be home in time for dinner and bed time,” she said.

Ikran discovered her interest in health care at a young age, inspired in part by her mother, also a nurse. Prior to joining Signify Health, Ikran worked in a variety of health care settings, including nursing homes, acute care and home care. However, longer shifts and late nights made it difficult to manage her schedule and be present for her family.