The rapid success of the 21-month-old Monsour Executive Wellness Center at USF Health has resulted in the need for a full-time physician director to help propel and shepherd the Center in its next growth phase.

H. James Brownlee, Jr., MD, has been named medical director of the Center, one of the fastest growing differentiated programs at USF Health. He joins the Center after retiring as chair of the USF Department of Family Medicine.

The expansion of the Center – now with four faculty physicians – is in keeping of its original strategy to grow into a prominent program designed specifically for busy executives with highly individualized, coordinated and time-driven scheduling. The program, which offers one-stop shop differentiated and customized wellness screening and longitudinal follow-up, has moved from idea to reality to potential national model in a few short years.

And, with such a strong response from area executives, the Center is now poised to reach a broader market, Dr. Brownlee said.

“It has always been Dr. Monsour’s vision to compete at a national level and we are now ready to move closer to that goal, maybe even faster than we first anticipated,” said Dr. Brownlee. “The many USF clinicians – from ophthalmology to audiology to physical therapy to cardiology – have done a tremendous job in helping us grow. As we expand our program, I look forward to working with them more. They are clearly the key to our success. We have a great team, great support and great vision.”

The Center, founded by Barbara and Roger Monsour, has steadily increased the number of executives wanting to access an all-encompassing physical, said Deann Marasco, program director of the Center. Opening in May 2010, the Center saw 17 executives in its first seven months. In 2011, 59 executives visited the Center. And in 2012, the Center is on track to see more than 80.

“Projections put us seeing several clients every day of the week, a goal we are eagerly aiming for,” Marasco said.

The Center is designed with the needs of a busy executive in mind, Marasco said.

“Our Executive Wellness Program is for anyone seeking a more personalized, thorough, and coordinated physical examination, with a team of people overseeing your wellbeing,” Marasco said.

Clients spend the better part of a day at USF’s Carol & Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare. The tightly scheduled day is medically focused on the whole patient, providing a complete physical examination and full range of laboratory tests, and also includes ways for these business leaders to stay plugged into their unyielding workflow. The private clinic suite inside the Monsour Executive Wellness Center that is used for most of the physical exam is unlike typical examination rooms. In addition to myriad medical equipment, examination table and specialized lighting, the space also features a computer, wireless internet, and a telephone, and nearby are a printer, fax and photocopier – the tools needed to stay connected to business, Marasco said.

“The day is compact, making efficient use of the limited time most clients can provide,” said Marasco, the person responsible for the seamless timing of the multiple steps in a complete appointment.

In addition to Dr. Brownlee, the physicians of the Monsour Executive Wellness Center at USF Health include Drs. Eric Coris, Janelle Pegg, and Michele Pescasio. The Center also includes ancillary medical staff, including registered nurses and clinical nursing staff, health psychologists, athletic trainers, audiologists, optometrist, registered dietician and other health care professional in a range of areas of medicine.

For more information about the USF Health Monsour Executive Wellness Program, visitmyhealthcare.usf.edu or call 813-974-1794.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications.