In recognition of National Physicians Week, we are celebrating the contributions of our many physicians. No two paths to Signify Health are exactly the same, but we appreciate the knowledge all physicians bring to their work and the time and attention they bring to every health plan member.
In her roles at Signify Health, Heidi Schwarzwald, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer champions clinical excellence for every In-Home Health Evaluation (IHE) and advocates for our entire clinician network. Learn more about her career journeys and her efforts to improve the experience for all Signify Health clinicians.
A Q&A with Dr. Heidi Schwarzwald
Q: What inspired you to become a physician?
A: I’m one of those rare birds who just knew I wanted to be a doctor from when I was about eight years old. I was lucky to have an uncle who was a primary care provider and rheumatologist. Early on, I started taking an interest in the work he did and really fell in love with medicine. It’s an academically and scientifically rigorous profession where you translate knowledge into making communities healthier. It’s such a privilege.
Q: What was your first job as a physician?
A: I grew up in Ohio and attended the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. I moved to Houston, TX to complete my residency in pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. I immediately joined the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine and focused my clinical time and research on international HIV work. For the first decade of my career, I primarily worked in sub-saharan Africa and Eastern Europe treating families with HIV at a time when we were really beginning to get HIV therapies into the developing world. We built clinics, trained health professionals, and treated people. It was a very meaningful experience.
Q: How did your experience working in the US compare with what you saw abroad?
A: Working internationally ignited my passion for health systems and the importance of looking at the health of communities rather than only considering the health of an individual. In the US, we have a powerful intervention-based system in which a single clinician treats an illness for a single patient. But often it’s even more powerful to consider the entire community. What is your community like? What are the resources available to everyone within the community? What health education is provided? Outside of the US, the medical system and the public health system work in tandem to support communities and individual health outcomes.
Q: How did that knowledge influence the way you practiced medicine?
A: My experiences in Africa and other countries led to my next role back in the US: opening fully capitated clinics in underserved, at-risk communities. To keep people out of the emergency room, our clinics were open seven days a week and located within walking distance of many patients. We integrated physical health, behavioral health and pharmacy services, all working together to really serve the community.
The community loved it. To be successful in value-based care, you have to work together in partnership with others. It’s a different approach to health care.
Q: Since joining Signify Health in 2023 (after nearly four years with Aetna), you’ve led efforts to improve the clinician experience. Which of these changes are the most meaningful?
A: There are two things that I’m really proud of. The first is our journey to help ensure that our clinicians are safer when they are entering health plan members’ homes. Our efforts are ongoing, but we’ll be adding safety features to the clinician MySignify app as well as making a safety device available later this year. We’ve also developed safety training that is available for all clinicians to watch in their Learning Community. Safety will continue to be an important focus in 2025.
I’m also proud of the clinical guidelines our team developed for the benefit of all clinicians. Those resources are based on national guidelines and the very best evidence available to give our clinicians the support they need in every visit.
Q: Looking ahead to 2025, what excites you most about the work our clinicians do at Signify Health?
A: There’s so much to look forward to! This will be a year in which we really begin to accelerate our ability to coordinate follow-up with Focused Visits. We’re building on the great work we’ve always done: comprehensive in-home assessments. When we identify a need related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes or a cognitive challenge, we want to be able to spend dedicated time with members focussed on specific health conditions. We can use that time to fully explore what the member needs and what’s going to help them be healthier.
Our clinicians frequently say that member education is their favorite part of their role with Signify Health. I’m excited about the chance to focus on specific chronic illnesses while offering more sophisticated in-home diagnostics when appropriate and supported by health plan clients.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
A: I’m an avid reader of all kinds of books. I also enjoy working jigsaw puzzles and hiking. My husband and I do quite a bit of hiking anywhere we can. Our kids are in college doing their own thing now and we’re so proud of them.