By David Taylor / Managing Editor
At the recent Crosby-Huffman Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Mike Roach, a seasoned nurse practitioner and small business owner, spoke passionately about the impact of healthcare on workforce productivity and business growth.
Drawing from 17 years of experience in medicine, including trauma nursing and functional medicine—Roach shared insights tailored for fellow entrepreneurs.
“On a day, if you’re missing because you’re sick, it’s about $1,700 per day. You have 100 employees: that’s about 100 and something thousand a year. The impact is great,” Roach explained, emphasizing the financial stakes for businesses of all sizes.
He encouraged business owners to prioritize annual health evaluations for their teams, noting, “See a doctor, get evaluated once a year, and it’s important.”
Roach highlighted that top companies like Shell and Exxon require annual physicals because “they know if they keep them in their office, their productivity is better than not being in the office.”
Addressing the challenges of managing employee health, Roach said, “As a small business owner, I know that affects me. As a bigger company, you might be able to absorb that. But as a smaller company, there’s no way. It hurts you.”
He advocated for incentive programs that promote regular checkups as part of annual reviews.
On the topic of functional medicine and hormone health, Roach dispelled misconceptions.
“Testosterone in men has got a lot of misconceptions, a lot of bad views of it. The reality is it’s a hormone just like females and because it’s a male, the most dominant male hormone out there, it has a bad connotation because of steroids. It looks as if it’s not good. But just like females who have issues with estrogen and progesterone as they age, men do too.”
Roach has recently partnered with Only Choice Urgent Care to bring men’s division hormone replacement for guys.
“We also service women as well in this region and we’re growing,” he said.
The goal, he explained, was to get evaluated at least once per year for prevention which, he said, is less expensive than the fallout.
The results can mean decreased productivity, brain fog, fatigue, lack of wanting to do things and much more.
“They’re not as active as they once were and it can affect them mentally, physically and emotionally. It can develop into a combination of overweight employees, high cholesterol, a glycemic index that’s off the charts, leading to diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism (low testosterone) or many other health complications,” he told the chamber members.
He also advocated for second opinions.
“The difference between a primary care doctor and a functional medicine doctor is they’re going to dig a little bit deeper. They’re going to look a little bit harder. They’re not just going to look at a number. They’re going to look at more than just that. In medicine, we deal with numbers, and they’re based on parameters, right? Not everyone fits that model. It’s a percentage. You’re based on an average. Not exactly who you are, right? So, you must be able to see people who can take care of you and do that sort of thing. I’m just saying if you’re not getting straight answers, learn to trust your instincts and get a second look.”
He concluded his presentation by underscoring the importance of proactive healthcare, not only for the individual, but for the overall success and resilience of small businesses in the community.
“If you’re not getting [an annual physical], even if you’re younger and you think, hey, it’s not for me, go get it looked at. It makes a difference.”
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