Healthy To A Hundred: Dr J Rand Baggesen On 5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life

An Interview With Savio P. Clemente

Prioritize What’s Important: your health is your greatest asset. Invest in it, take time for it and don’t assume you’ll always have it if you don’t. I have countless stories of people who in many ways “had it all,” only to realize too late that their health was their most important asset.

The term Blue Zones has been used to describe places where people live long and healthy lives. What exactly does it take to live a long and healthy life? What is the science and the secret behind longevity and life extension? In this series, we are talking to medical experts, wellness experts, and longevity experts to share “5 Things You Need To Live A Long, Healthy, & Happy Life”. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. J. Rand Baggesen.

Dr. J. Rand Baggesen is the Medical Director for the Executive Health Group. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, he attended the Medical College of Virginia and is board certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians and is an Associate Professor of medicine at VCU/MCV. Dr. Baggesen is passionate about how patient care can be enhanced through technology and has been first to bring these benefits to his practice, The Executive Health Group in Richmond, Virginia. He is passionate about transformative healthcare and believes preventative strategies are underused in the traditional delivery model of medicine. As an early adopter, he is driven to identify new technology, labs, and ideas that can help patients understand and manage their health as an asset.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?

I had what some may consider a non-traditional path to medicine as I believe my career in medicine began with my career on Wall Street. I worked on Wall Street from 1983–1990. While I enjoyed my time in finance, it became a stop on my way to medicine. That said, I learned a lot during my time on Wall Street that has informed my philosophy about health and wellness today. For example, I noticed there was great regard for and appreciation of money and material things among those I was working with, but less of an appreciation for the health and wellness that allowed them to enjoy them. It was evident to me that of all the investments that were being made, investments in one’s health often fell to the bottom of the list. I also recognized that while corporate America was built for efficiency, my experience with healthcare was anything but. These lessons and my time on Wall Street had a huge impact on what would ultimately become my passion and my purpose with the Executive Health Group.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?

One of the biggest learnings I’ve had, which has come from the people I care for, is that the most important thing in life is our vitality, our health. I’ve had the privilege to care for and support many people who, through preventative health, early detection, and a holistic and modern approach to wellness have had their lives saved. For example, one of my patients is a 37-year-old mother of four. Based on her age and risk level, she would not have started routine mammograms until the age of 40 under current guidelines. However, central to our approach at Executive Health Group (EHG) is a comprehensive physical using the most cutting-edge, data-driven technology available. After a routine physical exam in November 2023, her Galleri bloodwork, which can detect a signal shared by over 50 types of cancer, showed signs of breast cancer. The blood test is not commonly administered, but it’s a staple of the EHG physical workup. Asymptomatic, she had an MRI one week later, which showed a mass in her right breast, diagnosed as an aggressive form of cancer. She is currently receiving treatment from a top oncologist who credits finding it early as a positive impact on her prognosis.

This patient is one of many who continue to teach me the lesson that our health is the greatest gift and should never be taken for granted. I often reflect on this quote from the Dali Lama:

“Man sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

I feel strongly that we must focus our efforts, and ultimately, the healthcare system on health care, preventing illness and disease, versus sick care. Keeping people healthy so they can enjoy a long life is what’s important.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story.

There are two women who have had a significant impact on who I am today and my success. The first is my sister. When my sister was in her 20’s she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and at the age of 27, she lost her life to the disease. My sister’s illness and losing her at such a young age was significant in so many ways. One of the most prominent is that it was my first experience seeing the US healthcare system fail somebody I cared about. My sister and her experience were at the core of my desire to enter medicine and are still at the heart of our practice’s philosophy today. We want to prevent illness; we want to keep people well. We want to be proactive and be in the “business” of health care versus sick care.

The second woman who has, and continues, to be instrumental to my success and the success of our practice is my wife, Nicole. Nicole is not only my partner in life, but she is the Strategic Director at Executive Health Group. She has been instrumental in developing and executing our strategy. With her love, support, confidence, and guidance we’ve brought together the best science and the most elegant and effective delivery of that science. Without her, we and our patients would not be where we are today.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. I’m Willing to Swim Upstream: For as long as I can remember I’ve been willing to tackle the “tough stuff.” Just because something hasn’t been done, doesn’t mean it can’t be. What I’m passionate about — extreme preventative medicine for longevity — isn’t how the current healthcare system in the US was built. The way I’m wired, and part of my success, is to not accept what is and instead strive for what should be. Creating the practice we have today with this suite of offerings was no easy feat. There were times I was told obtaining a specific machine or sustaining a practice based in prevention couldn’t be done. But my willingness to take on the tough stuff and challenge the status quo prevailed and I’m glad, because we are improving and saving lives.
2. I’m Curious and I’m Independent: I’ve never been afraid to ask questions or do my own thing. I’m curious and have always looked for the why behind things. I’m an independent thinker, I’m courageous and I shy away from “group think.” As a physician I am of course data-driven and analytical, but I’m just as much a creative and an entrepreneur. My curiosity led me to build a career based in helping people stay well, in providing health care versus sick care.
3. Entrepreneurial Mindset: I am driven by the idea that I can make an impact on people’s lives by helping them stay well and prioritize their health over all else. This, however, is not how today’s healthcare system is structured. I tap into my entrepreneurial spirit to create, build and innovate and marry that with my deep desire to positively impact people and the world. Whether in medicine or not, bringing vision, passion and a willingness to self-motivate can help you realize your goals.

Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview about health and longevity. To begin, can you share with our readers a bit about why you are an authority in the fields of health, wellness, and longevity? In your opinion, what is your unique contribution to the world of wellness?

I have a philosophy and offering that is unique, but my greatest desire is for it not to be. Today’s health care system is reactive and built for sick care versus health care, yet we have the opportunity to live longer and healthier than any generation before us. It is my purpose and passion to deliver on this opportunity with cutting-edge technology and in-depth, continuous medical care. What gets me up and out (and working round the clock) is my belief that what we built and offer at Executive Health Group will improve and save lives. Seeing patients who may have otherwise not been here to walk their child down the aisle, attend a grandchild’s graduation, or travel the world is what I hope our contribution to the world is and will continue to be.

Seekers throughout history have traveled great distances and embarked on mythical quests in search of the “elixir of life,” a mythical potion said to cure all diseases and give eternal youth. Has your search for health, vitality, and longevity taken you on any interesting paths or journeys? We’d love to hear the story.

As mentioned earlier, I think my journey from Wall Street to medical school is an interesting one and not necessarily the typical path. Further has been my unique journey within the medical field. I am driven to maintain wellness, not treat illness. I want to create urgency around the absence of illness and disease. My stories are those of my patients who are healthy and thriving with peace of mind and confidence that they are proactive about their health and no stone is left unturned. And my patients who are here today but may have otherwise not been if we didn’t take the time and the tools to detect their illnesses early.

Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Live A Long & Healthy Life”?

Here are my top 5 recommendations to live and long and healthy life from a man who has dedicated his life to helping others do just that.

1. Prioritize What’s Important: your health is your greatest asset. Invest in it, take time for it and don’t assume you’ll always have it if you don’t. I have countless stories of people who in many ways “had it all,” only to realize too late that their health was their most important asset.
2. Understand Vascular Disease: Vascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. In my opinion, taking an informed and proactive approach to preventing vascular disease should be a top health priority and with today’s technology you can.
3. Take an Eyes Wide Open Approach to Cancer: understand your risks, utilize the most up to date technology to find cancers — all kinds of cancers — early. Today’s routine screenings are just the tip of the cancer iceberg. In fact, they only screen for a small percentage of cancers that if detected could lead to better outcomes. There is so much more available to people and utilizing what’s available can be a lifesaver…literally.
4. Manage Your Stress: your stress level has a direct relationship with your wellness. Getting enough sleep, fueling your body with the right nutrition. These are critical aspects to stress management and therefore overall wellness. You don’t have to tackle these alone. Work with a physician or practice who offers diagnostics to gauge and track these as well as a hands-on approach to managing them.
5. Metabolic Disease: I encourage all my patients to be mindful of metabolic disease. Diabetes and obesity are two all too common diseases that could be successfully prevented and managed and instead are leading to significant morbidity and mortality in this country.

Can you suggest a few things needed to live a life filled with happiness, joy, and meaning?

What brings joy, happiness and meaning varies from person to person. As they say, “that’s what makes the world go around.” But what I know to be true is that none of that has the same meaning when people are sick. So, my suggestion is one thing: Prioritize your health and wellness above all else and live your life in a way that preserves it.

Some argue that longevity is genetic, while others say that living a long life is simply a choice. What are your thoughts on this nature vs. nurture debate? Which is more important?

Based on the data and my personal experience as a practitioner, I would say living a long life is 20% genetics (nature) and 80% behavior (nurture). It is way more about what we do than who we are. Living with meaning, making healthy choices, moving, walking and taking a proactive, preventative approach to health and wellness makes all the difference. I’ve seen firsthand patients whose genetics and biology places them at an extremely high risk for an illness but have avoided it by the choices they make.

Life sometimes takes us on paths that are challenging. How have you managed to bounce back from setbacks in order to cultivate physical, mental, and emotional health?

We had a very important moment in building Executive Health Group that could have stopped us in our tracks. We were affiliated with a local hospital and in addition to sharing patients, were leasing space from them for our practice. We were in growth mode and certainly had momentum when, without notice, we lost our lease and relationship. This was a challenging moment and one where I really had to take stock of what I was building and if it was “worth it” to continue. After much thought and soul searching the quest to continue prevailed. Our doctors and our community rallied and came together, and I’m pleased to say that now, in hindsight, that was a blessing in disguise. And that is the lesson. At first what appears to be a great challenge and setback may actually be an opportunity in disguise.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

Allen Morris is the CEO of All In Leaders which works with high-achieving individuals to get to their next level of personal growth. Allen and I were speakers at the same event and he and his philosophy resonated and stuck with me. Central to his philosophy is “be all in for all that matters.” I live that way. I am “all in” on longevity and preventative health. It is the foundation of the offering I’ve built at Executive Health Group, and it is what drives me to be at the forefront of medicine. I believe we have only begun to fully understand and leverage preventative healthcare and I am all in to blaze the trail for myself, my family, my patients, my community and the world.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

My wish is that more people would shift their mindset about how they approach their health and wellness. I want people to look at their health insurance like they do their auto insurance. If you’re in a car accident or there is something major that happens to your car, you use your auto insurance as that’s what it is intended for. But the general maintenance of your car — oil, tune up, washes, minor part replacement etc. — those are things you as an owner proactively manage and pay for. In many ways that is how health care should be approached. Use your health insurance for sick care, for big events. Don’t look at it as the only way to manage your health and wellness. Maintenance and prevention should be something you proactively seek and manage, and at times, must pay out of pocket for. I feel strongly that we must own our health and wellness and decide the journey we take to maintain it.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: Savio P. Clemente, TEDx speaker and Stage 3 cancer survivor, infuses transformative insights into every article. His journey battling cancer fuels a mission to empower survivors and industry leaders towards living a truly healthy, wealthy, and wise lifestyle. As a Board-Certified Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC, ACC), Savio guides readers to embrace self-discovery and rewrite narratives by loving their inner stranger, as outlined in his acclaimed TEDx talk: “7 Minutes to Wellness: How to Love Your Inner Stranger.” From his best-selling book to his impactful work as a media journalist covering resilience and wellness trends with notable celebrities and TV personalities, Savio’s words touch countless lives. His philosophy, “to know thyself is to heal thyself,” resonates in every piece.