This interview with Lifespark CEO, Joel Theisen, BSN, RN, is part of a McGuireWoods series featuring interviews with C-suite leadership of private equity-backed portfolio companies. Joel talks with the editor covering a few key areas about Lifespark including what it means to live a sparked life, how does his nursing background inform his business decisions, growth strategy, working private equity, and what it means to fail forward. An inspiring interview that covers a lot of ground.
Joel shares “Lifespark is based on the belief that while quality medical care is essential to aging magnificently, it isn’t enough by itself. As people age, health outcomes improve when we connect them to magnificence, choice, guidance and independence. That’s living a sparked life — one with curiosity, fun, meaning or what most refer to as purpose, whatever that may be to the individual.
The problem is the sick-care system is not built to foster people’s spark. It keeps people on what we call the roller coaster of healthcare crisis — fragmented, siloed and reactive care that focuses on chronic illness, diagnosis and medications without central coordination by someone with a broad perspective of a senior’s whole life. It diminishes people’s spark when we focus on the medical and not who they are or what engages them.
Our approach to complete senior health is all-encompassing, meaning we focus on all aspects of well-being, not just physical health. We build trusted relationships and address social drivers of health such as isolation, family dynamics, loneliness and transportation because they do more to change health.”