RiverRock Medical · Austin, TX
The Cornerstone
Assessment
An executive physical with Dr. Z, grounded in the RiverRock philosophy.
The Cornerstone Assessment is the gateway to RiverRock.
Start the day in our newly renovated office, with a pourover brew of fresh, locally roasted coffee...
The RiverRock Cornerstone brings medical evaluation, capacity testing, teaching, and a deep discussion of meaning, values, personality, and character, all into one comprehensive assessment.
RiverRock defines health as the capacity to pursue what matters. Your meaning and values guide how Dr. Z interprets your medical findings and physical capacities, identifies what deserves attention, and develops your plan.
A different way
to think about health
Teaching is a central part of the Cornerstone. Through short sessions woven throughout the day, Dr. Z explains how RiverRock defines health and evaluates medical evidence. You learn how to interpret bloodwork, judge health claims, and decide whether a test or treatment deserves your attention.
The purpose is a lasting change in how you think about health and health information. A lab abnormality shouldn’t automatically feel like a crisis. A new metric shouldn’t automatically feel important. You develop a clearer standard for judging the advice and interventions you encounter long after the assessment.
Time, energy, attention, and discipline are finite. You want to know what’s worth doing, how much effort it deserves, and what you can stop feeling guilty about.
“Frankly, this is the real value of the Cornerstone.”
Dr. Z
Meaning, values, personality, and character
Using RiverRock’s ten Categories of Meaning, you and Dr. Z examine your sources of meaning, the priorities you’ve chosen, and those you’ve taken on from others. You discuss what you want to develop, what that would require, and the tradeoffs you’re willing to make.
The values discussion examines your ethical standards alongside what your use of time, attention, and effort shows you value. You discuss how consistently you keep commitments to yourself and others, and how this affects self-trust.
Big Five and Enneagram inventories help describe your personality. The character discussion covers acting outside your usual preferences and tolerating discomfort when something you value requires it.
For more on the meaning discussion: Why meaning belongs in a medical practice
Preparing for your visit
You’ll receive fasting instructions and guidance on what to wear before your assessment.
Six hours at RiverRock in Austin
Dr. Z conducts and guides the assessment. The day begins with orientation and fasting bloodwork; you can eat after the blood draw.
- Fasting bloodwork drawn in-office
- Medical history, medication review, and physical exam, including blood pressure check
- Cardiovascular-risk estimation
- Baseline EKG
- Cardiac ultrasound baseline
- Social connectedness
- Cognitive baseline testing
- VO2 max and metabolic testing, with lung capacity and function testing (spirometry)
- Break for lunch after VO2
- Personality assessment
- Meaning, values, and character discussion
- Teaching throughout the day
A separate two-hour
Basal Strength assessment (included)
Strength and VO2 testing take place on different days because fatigue from either test would compromise the results of the other. The Basal Strength assessment typically takes place before the RiverRock visit when scheduling allows, and always before the video follow-up so the results can be included in the synthesis.
Physician synthesis and a two-hour video follow-up
Your video follow-up takes place about two weeks after your RiverRock visit, after the remaining results return. Dr. Z reviews the complete findings and prepares the synthesis beforehand. During the video visit, you receive the full interpretation and a plan identifying what to treat, train, monitor, clarify, accept, change, ignore, or stop.
Thirty days of digital access to Dr. Z
After your video follow-up, you can message Dr. Z with questions as you put the plan into practice, revisit something you discussed, or ask about anything you forgot to bring up.
Ongoing Care
The Cornerstone is a standalone assessment.
Membership offers a continuing relationship with Dr. Z across the full scope of RiverRock's work: medical care, scientific interpretation, meaning, values, and character.
Membership may be discussed after the Cornerstone if there's mutual fit.
Book Your
Cornerstone Assessment
Includes the six-hour RiverRock assessment, separate two-hour Basal Strength assessment, physician synthesis, two-hour video follow-up, strategic plan, and thirty days of access for questions.
The Cornerstone is a standalone assessment. Membership may be discussed afterward if there’s mutual fit.
The in-person assessment takes place at RiverRock’s office in Austin, TX. If you’re traveling to Austin, contact us to discuss arrangements for your visit.
