We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Neely Cotten. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Neely below.

Alright, Neely thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

I think everyone can agree that the healthcare system is enormous, and in many ways, overwhelming. Anyone who has experienced a hospitalization or been close to someone experiencing health problems can attest that transparency between insurance companies and providers is lacking, communication across specialties is cumbersome, and quite simply – the options somehow seem endless and also limited in the same breath.

In the past 5 years, healthcare’s response to this vastness has been unanimous: accessibility. If healthcare is too big to bring you in, we’ll bring the healthcare to you. We are seeing a rise in the popularity of concierge practitioners who go to patients’ homes. Telehealth providers are available to video conference at all hours of the day; my daughter was even “treated” for strep throat by video conference at 7pm on Mother’s Day a couple weeks ago. Dedicated patient portals touting easy access to test results and providers’ inboxes are a feature of most practices at this point.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started Compass Health Resources in May 2021. I, too, recognized that the healthcare system has become an endless maze, particularly for people who are not well-versed in medicine. My solution to the problem is also accessibility — but rather than bringing healthcare TO people, we go WITH people to healthcare. Compass Health Resources specializes in “personalized healthcare navigation”, which is exactly what it sounds like. Quite simply – we help our clients navigate the system effectively.

Our services match our clients’ needs; sometimes that means accompanying older adults to clinical appointments and updating their families about the medical plan. Sometimes it means helping adult children understand what to expect when their parent receives a new diagnosis. Walking clients through a difficult hospitalization. Asking the right questions to doctors and care teams. Planning for the future in terms of medical power of attorney and living wills. Helping clients maintain their independence at home by utilizing local resources for medication management. Whatever it takes so that clients are getting the most out of their healthcare as possible – that is personalized healthcare navigation.

I am a nurse practitioner with over 15 years’ experience in critical care and palliative care medicine. I have seen over and over again that people with better outpatient support systems have fewer hospitalizations, fewer crisis events, and an overall better experience with healthcare. My goal is that the value of “personalized healthcare navigation” becomes widely accepted. I am so proud of the fact that my clients stay healthier, happier, safer, and have fewer hospitalizations as a result of my services. One consistent piece of feedback from my clients is that they feel a great peace of mind knowing they have done the absolute best for themselves and their loves ones.

I want people to understand that they do not have to be defaulted into place by the healthcare system, that they have an advocate in their corner. To use a football analogy (Go Titans!), there is a quarterback ready and waiting to move things down the field for you. My years of clinical practice in Nashville, professional and personal relationships, and desire for my clients to be “more than just a checklist” is what sets Compass Health Resources apart from run-of-the-mill case management or patient navigation. I’m excited for the future of “personalized healthcare navigation”; it is a bright one.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The pace of medicine (especially critical care medicine) is very different from the pace of business. In a hospital where situations are often life and death, time and action move quickly. After being in that world for 15 years, my expectation of business pace was very unrealistic. Business is about propriety and relationship, and generally speaking, moves much slower. I have had to change my expectations about communication, productivity, and pace.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

“Personalized Healthcare Navigation” is not a common phrase in medicine, business, or casual talk. When someone says ‘bicycle repair shop’, you automatically know what’s happening inside those walls. I have had to be resilient and persistent when building this business that “personalized healthcare navigation” is a phrase worth taking note of. People gravitate to what they know, and taking time to understand and apply new concepts in our fast-paced, technology-driven society is increasingly difficult. Sticking to my convictions that this business, this phrase, this concept has a seat at the table has been challenging at times. Most often I find if people are skeptical it’s because they are not interested in taking the time to consider something new, not because they reject the concept all together. I am proud that when my clients sign on, the overwhelming majority retain our services. The value of “personalized healthcare navigation” speaks for itself in these numbers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.CompassHealthResources.com
• Instagram: @CompassHealthResources
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CompassHealthResources
• Linkedin: Neely Cotten
• Other: 615-400-0486

Image Credits
Photos James Williams and Landon Todd