Dream-Driven, Data-Assisted

So look, the stuff we talk about on the main site is all real. We believe in it, or we wouldn't put it up. But the reality of marketing is that most people don't want to read a lot of words, so we put our real philosophy into pretty words and make it aspirational so it sounds appealing.

And it really is real, it's not bullshit. RiverRock is founded on a truly different vision of health, and that vision is expressed in an algorithmic approach to optimizing a much more profound target. We truly believe that the core value of RiverRock is in this perspective, because that perspective motivates all the things we do.

But at the same time, that perspective is intended as a practical philosophy, not a “pie in the sky” philosophy. The philosophy is worthless if it doesn't make us do things differently at RiverRock. It must have real-word, bread-and-butter, feet-on-the-treadmill consequences for how we end up practicing medicine.

So, we wanted to take some space here to talk about those practical effects. It gets a bit long, and kinda technical, and maybe a bit boring for the non-technically inclined, so this page got hidden here for those of you who (like us) are determined and analytic enough to be interested. Btw, if you end up reading this all the way through, even if you disagree with it, we can be 95% sure you'd get some value from a Cornerstone assessment ;).

The Cornerstone Assessment

So, the most obvious differences, practically speaking, can be seen in the Cornerstone Assessment itself. It's a single, intensive 6-hour day dedicated to a comprehensive data-gathering process. This allows us to get a complete picture of your health, from physiology to identity, all at once.

Here’s a breakdown of what that single intensive day looks like, organized by our two main areas of inquiry: "Physis" (your physical nature) and "Noesis" (your identity).

Physis (Body & Brain)

This is where we gather all the objective physiological data. Think of it as the most thorough executive physical you've ever had, and then some. We cover:

• Complete Medical Overview: We go through your entire medical history and conduct a thorough physical exam.
• Thorough Bloodwork: We draw blood in-office for a thorough panel that covers the basics, using bloodwork to the limits of its scientific and mathematical ability.
• Metabolic Mapping (with VO2 Max): This is a deep dive that includes VO2 Max testing, mitochondrial health and metabolic analysis (FatMax), lung function testing, an EKG, and an echocardiogram.
• Cognitive & Neurological Baseline: We establish a baseline for your cognitive function and even look at your brainwave patterns with a neurofeedback assessment.
• Strength, Balance, Endurance: We get a baseline of your physical strength, balance and movement capacity, and muscle endurance.
• Social Connectedness: We use the basic 5-point screening tool used in research studies on this topic.
• Blood Pressure and 10-year Cardiac Risk: We use the Sheffield tables and the ASCVD calculator to estimate your 10-year cardiac risk if possible.
• We use all of the above to calculate your RiverRock Longevity Score.

Noesis (Identity & Purpose)

This is the part that standard medicine almost completely ignores. We explore the pillars of your identity to understand what drives you. This isn’t just a casual chat; it’s a structured analysis using validated tools:

• Personality: We use tools like the Big-5 and Enneagram to understand your core personality structure.
• Meaning & Purpose: We use our 10 Categories of Meaning framework to analyze your sense of purpose.
• Values: We do a deep dive into your personal values to analyze your unconscious ability to trust yourself.

Philosophy

This entire process is still governed by the philosophy of dream-driven healthcare. We’re figuring out your dreams, goals, and targets, analyzing the obstacles, and figuring out how to remove them. But we are now doing it with a much more robust and integrated dataset collected in that single day.

At the end of the Cornerstone, we have an incredible amount of personalized data: a complete physiological, metabolic, and cognitive profile, paired with a deep understanding of your identity, values, and purpose.

Once the bloodwork and metabolic mapping results are back, we schedule a follow-up 2-hour video call. In that call, we present your results and co-create your personalized strategic plan for optimizing both longevity and meaning. Recommendations might include:

• Specific exercise protocols tailored to your metabolic profile and goals.
• Dietary adjustments based on your bloodwork and metabolic health.
• Strategies to improve sleep hygiene and cognitive performance.
• Books, resources, or even referrals to specialists to help you overcome your most pressing obstacles.
• Key exercises to increase intimacy with romantic partners.
• Target recommendations for time spent on artistic creation.
• Rituals to improve family participation.

You'll notice we don't have a blanket recommendation for things like fasting, keto, plant-based, or a Doodow sleep device, or even alcohol reduction. While any of these can be a useful tool for some, our recommendations are now entirely personalized based on the data we collect.

So yes, we're dream-driven, no question. We use a deep analysis of your identity and purpose to help structure our thoughts and provide guidance. But we also use data gathering, at a far more advanced level than most medical practices, to personalize and target our recommendations.

In other words, for the marketing, we're Dream-Driven, Data-Assisted.

If you'd like to know more about our approach, learn more about our Methodology →.