On a typical day in Sarasota, Florida, Dr. John P. Lafferty IV might spend an hour sitting at a kitchen table with a health plan member. The conversation may begin with medications or recent doctor visits, but it often becomes something more personal. How are they sleeping? Are they steady on their feet? Is there something about their treatment plan that just is not working?
For Dr. Lafferty, those conversations are the heart of his work with Signify Health. He approaches every visit with a simple philosophy: listen first.
“A lot of it is understanding what someone needs, but also what they want,” he said. “I try to learn what might make their life a little better during the short time I spend with them.”
That perspective has guided Dr. Lafferty through decades in medicine and now in his work supporting members through In-Home Health Evaluations (IHEs).
A Florida native who grew up just outside Miami, Dr. Lafferty spent many years practicing anesthesiology and pain management, fields that appealed to his interest in precision and problem-solving. His curiosity about improving medicine even led him to develop and patent a device designed to streamline how medications are delivered through IV tubing. However, after many years in hospital and clinical settings, Dr. Lafferty was ready for a new chapter. That’s when he relocated to Sarasota to be closer to his mother and discovered Signify Health.
“Home visits had always been on my bucket list,” he said. “There is something powerful about meeting someone where they live. I see their environment, their routines and the things that shape their health every day.”
Since joining the Signify Health network in 2020, Dr. Lafferty has found that seeing members in their homes provides a perspective that traditional health care settings often cannot. During visits, he reviews medical history, medications and current concerns while looking for anything that may require following up with the member’s primary care provider.
“At least a couple of times each week, I notice something that deserves another look,” he said. “It might be a medication side effect or a symptom that developed between doctor visits.”
Sometimes, the discoveries are small but meaningful. One member had been struggling with persistent insomnia and assumed it was caused by stress.
“When we reviewed her medications together, I noticed insomnia was a possible side effect of one she recently started,” he said. “That gave her the information she needed to talk with her primary doctor about whether a different medication might work better.”
Another health plan member reached out to Signify Health directly to share that, “Dr. Lafferty was like a friend from years ago,” adding, “I felt comfortable and knew that I could share things that were personal with him.”
Moments like these highlight the value of filling in the gaps between traditional health care visits and why an IHE can be incredibly meaningful.
“Seeing a person in their home provides a broader perspective on their health and well-being,” Dr. Lafferty said. “Things like fall risks, signs of social isolation or caregiver stress may be easier to recognize outside of a clinic.”
Between visits, Dr. Lafferty often reflects while driving along Florida’s Gulf Coast and thinking about the members he met that day.
“I find myself asking whether there was anything else I could have done or asked,” he said. “That reflection helps me become better the next time.”
And through every visit, the same principle guides him.
“When I take the time to listen,” Dr. Lafferty said, “I begin to understand what matters most to people. That is where I can really make a difference.”