Tailored physical exams offer high-tech screenings -- plus an emphasis on wellness.

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Top care, top dollar

Tailored physical exams offer high-tech screenings -- plus an emphasis on

wellness.

By Hilary E. MacGregor, Times Staff Writer

What do you get for a $7,500 executive physical?

Doug Shafer, a stressed-out Napa Valley vintner, was willing to fork over

the

cash to find out.

At 7:35 a.m. on a recent Wednesday, Shafer pulled a black BMW X5 into a

reserved parking space at St. Helena Hospital, a regional medical center

overlooking vineyards. A nurse escorted him to his room, where every detail

was

personalized.

The medical staff wore blue, his favorite color. His room was blue too. The

stereo was blasting the Rolling Stones, his favorite group. Inside a gym

bag,

emblazoned with his initials, was a golf magazine (he loves golf) and a

biography of JFK (he's a fan). There was also a heart-rate monitor, a

pedometer and a

strengthening tool that could fit into the suitcase of a man who travels a

lot.

Shafer would spend the next 11 hours being tested, diagnosed, analyzed and

counseled. He would meet with a nutritionist, a behavioral psychologist, an

exercise physiologist and the Harvard-trained doctor who runs the program.

His

body would be scanned by the most up-to-date technology; his blood would be

drawn

and sent to specialized labs. There would lots of time with the doctor - and

no waiting. At the end of the day, Shafer would leave with a 3-inch-thick

binder containing a personalized plan on how to live a more healthful life.

And just in case Shafer might be tempted to stash the binder and his new

heart-rate monitor in a back closet, the doctor would follow up four times

during

the year to make sure he was staying on track to meet his new goals.

The One program at St. Helena offers a peek at preventive medicine at the

very top tier. It's what medicine would look like if everyone had access to

the

latest technology, the latest tests and research, and a team of physicians

and

nurses who would spend hours focusing on your health and your life.

There would be no crowded waiting rooms, no surly, overworked office staff,

no interruptions. It wouldn't take three phone calls to find out your test

results. The doctor would listen, without distractions, as youŠ

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