LVHN’s Executive Health Program Helped Keep Dennis Morton’s Health on Track

Running a successful company and being a married father of four doesn’t leave Dennis Morton time for much else. Then one day, he noticed a Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) advertisement that got him thinking.

“Honestly, I’ve had something of an aversion to checking on my health for a long time,” says Morton, founder and principal at Morton Brown Family Wealth of Allentown. “I do run a lot and watch what I eat so I keep in good shape. But it had probably been five years since I checked on my health at all. I didn’t even have a primary physician. Then I saw the ad on social media somewhere.”

The ad was for LVHN’s Executive Health Program, a comprehensive medical exam and screening program for individuals such as executives and business leaders who are pressed for time. Now in his mid-40s, the ad struck a chord with the always busy Morton.

“LVHN has been taking care of the community for a long time with initiatives such as street medicine,” says Sara DeBenedetto, program manager, LVHN Executive Health Program. “We wanted to do something for executives, business leaders, busy moms, any adults who have very little time to address their health.”

The Executive Health Program is a one-day package of health services performed from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Health Center at Palmer Township at Northampton Crossings in Easton, where patients meet with the appropriate physicians and caregivers, and go through exams and tests tailored to their needs. 

A typical day would include:

• Vital signs
• Diagnostic testing (ultrasounds, blood tests)
• Vision tests
• Hearing tests
• Cardiac stress tests
• Skin cancer screening
• Depression and anxiety screening
• Vaccination review
• Wellness and nutritional coaching
• Complete review with recommendations to end the day

Mammography is included for women patients, as are travel medicine suggestions for all patients when needed. LVHN navigates any follow-up care and referrals deemed necessary.

When Morton arrived for his program on March 31, he was a little apprehensive.

“They were very welcoming and put me at ease very quickly,” Morton says. “To have all those services available to me in one day, there’s just no way I could find the latitude in my schedule to make appointments that otherwise would have required several weeks.”

The LVHN Executive Health Program is not covered by insurance, with the exception of mammography. The cost is $3,500, which actually represents a significant cost savings when considering the cost of these services separately.

“We launched this program in November 2020,” DeBenedetto says. “It’s a very personalized program. A nurse navigator meets with the patient beforehand, and they assess all needs. It’s a great way to get ahead of any potential health problems. Many patients find out things about their health that they didn’t know.”

Morton was glad to find out his health was excellent.

“I got some valuable nutritional and lifestyle information that I will always use,” Morton says. “The best thing someone gets in this program is peace of mind. You reach a certain age and you just want to muscle through everything instead of getting something checked. This is a great way to be sure about your health.”