Everest Health: Trailblazing the Future of Healthcare through Longevity Clinics
/Everest Health has been making notable strides in the domain of longevity medicine.
Following its recent feature in The Wall Street Journal, Methuselah Foundation sits down with Danielle Ruiz to delve deeper into the journey, philosophy, and future of Everest Health:
“Methuselah Foundation (MF): Danielle, can you share with us how you felt when you first saw Everest Health being featured in The Wall Street Journal?
Danielle Ruiz (DR): I was very happy to see more attention being drawn to the legitimacy of Everest Health and our ability to help our patients live longer, healthier lives.
MF: What do you believe led to Everest Health being spotlighted in such a prominent publication?
DR: Longevity Medicine is experiencing great interest from the public, which isn't surprising considering the poor options available with mainstream medicine. Our partnership with the Methuselah Foundation keeps us at the forefront of science for treatments that are safe and proven in humans with the Methuselah Protocol, as well as the affordability of our clinic really sets us apart. In addition, our patients are passionate about the measurable, positive changes they've seen with their health and are eager to share their experience with others.
MF: How does the coverage by WSJ align with your vision for Everest Health?
DR: In my opinion, Longevity Medicine that is individualized and preventative should be the matter of course for healthcare in the future. Coverage by WSJ will help make that a reality by increasing awareness of real Longevity Medicine currently available.
MF: Given the wide range of longevity clinics discussed in the article, what do you think makes Everest Health stand out in this growing market?
DR: The ways that Everest Health differs from other clinics comes from our philosophy and partnerships. We believe that everyone has an inherent right to the best healthcare possible and to enjoy a healthy life. To accomplish that, we developed a business model that would be appealing to all- athletes and soccer moms, individuals with wealth and those who have a limited, fixed income, people looking to optimize health and those who have significant health problems, longevity scientists and people new to the idea of Longevity Medicine. Most clinics who purport to be specialized in Longevity Medicine are extremely unaffordable to the average person, and often offer services that are not proven beneficial or even safe in humans. Everest Health uses the Methuselah Protocol, which is affordable, and proven safe and effective in humans.
MF: How do you respond to the concerns raised in the article about the lack of regulation in the longevity clinic market? What steps is Everest Health taking to ensure patient safety and treatment effectiveness?
DR: It should absolutely be a concern. There are many supposed Longevity Clinics that are causing real harm to patients by offering services that are not evidence based. Our Methuselah Protocol only ever includes treatment options which are proven by rigorous science to be safe and effective in humans- not just mice or human cells. We track many metrics in our patients to ensure that every level of their personalized Protocol is proving to be beneficial for them specifically.
MF: How does Everest Health balance the focus on cutting-edge science with the need for treatments to be evidence-based, as you were quoted in the article?
DR: There are many medications, supplements, lifestyle choices, and non-medication treatments that are both cutting-edge and evidence-based. It takes an average of 17 years for science proven treatments to become part of medical guidelines- available to patients- and even more time for practitioners to adopt these changes in their practice, if they ever do. With our partnership with the Methuselah Foundation, we hold ourselves responsible to stay up to date on research as it's available so our patients have access to the latest and greatest just as soon as we know it will help them.
MF: The article mentioned the rise in venture-capital investments in longevity clinics. How do you see this trend impacting Everest Health and the longevity field at large?
DR: Overall, there is great interest in the longevity field. I consider healthspan to be one of the most pressing issues facing mankind- short lives, ill health, loss of productivity, suffering... These are not new issues but historically, we haven't done a good job of prioritizing solutions. I'm encouraged that there is more investment in the field.
MF: Given the significant costs associated with these longevity clinics as highlighted in the article, how does Everest Health ensure its services are accessible to a broader audience?
DR: We offer a broad range of options to patients, focussing on the "biggest bang for buck (and effort)". I also work hard to negotiate with vendors like labs and imaging to reduce costs to my patients; generally in the 80-90% reduced cost range. Because the research consistently shows that having more frequent appointments with a provider is directly related to more positive health outcomes, we also incentivize patients by reducing costs significantly for those who show they are committed to their health.
MF: Finally, how do you see the article's coverage impacting the future of Everest Health, and what plans do you have for the clinic moving forward?
DR: The article's coverage is already increasing interest from patients, vendors, investors, and providers who would like to have the opportunity to train with Everest Health. This all means that we are growing faster, making Longevity Medicine more accessible and more affordable while continuing to improve quality of services and outcomes for our patients.”
The Methuselah Foundation would like to thank Danielle for her insights and for sharing the remarkable work being done at Everest Health. The future of longevity medicine is promising, and clinics like Everest Health are paving the way.