Toronto’s Stem Health Offers a New Approach to Personalized Healthcare
From sleep scores and step counts to personalized skincare regimens and carefully curated supplement routines, the pursuit of self-optimization has found its way into just about every corner of our lives. Our healthcare, however, can still feel surprisingly fragmented, with appointments, test results and referrals spread across different providers and timelines. For even the most organized, keeping track of it all can feel like a job in itself.
Stem Health aims to make navigating the healthcare system far less overwhelming. At its new 8,000-square-foot clinic in Toronto’s First Canadian Place, the provider brings primary care, specialist consultations, advanced diagnostics and allied health services together under one roof. Patients can book individual services on a pay-as-you-go basis or opt for a membership for ongoing primary care. Members also gain a dedicated Care Advocate—a personal healthcare assistant who helps coordinate appointments, referrals and timely follow-ups.
Courtesy of Stem Health
For founder and CEO Ashim Khemani, the concept of Stem was born from years of personal experience. His mother passed away when Khemani was just 10 years old following an acute health need, while his father died of lung cancer at 57, just 12 days after his diagnosis.
Years later, Khemani discovered another gap in personalized care after undergoing knee surgery and struggling to manage post-operative pain. He had been prescribed codeine but continued to experience discomfort, no matter the dosage he took. Pharmacogenomic testing eventually revealed that his body doesn’t respond to the medication as expected, something he says he likely would have never discovered if he didn’t take the extra step to get tested. From there, the vision for Stem only became clearer. “The idea that early detection and prevention can have a positive impact on quality of life is the genesis of what we are trying to do here,” he says.
Courtesy of Stem Health
Khemani’s preventive care philosophy also informs Stem’s Annual Health Assessment—a comprehensive, physician-led evaluation designed to give patients a more complete picture of their health. Tailored to individual needs and priorities, testing can range from echocardiograms and body composition scans to eye imaging, cognitive assessments, cancer screening and fitness testing. More extensive assessments also offer access to advanced imaging, including CT scans and whole-body MRI at partner facilities, with appointments scheduled within two weeks of booking.
The entire health assessment experience is built around a single, carefully coordinated day, in a space curated by SDI Design that feels more like a private lounge than a traditional medical clinic. Soft lighting, a neutral palette, inviting furnishings and a burning fireplace give the interior a warm, lived-in feel, while a concierge guides patients between consultations and tests. Breakfast and lunch are also offered, with drinks and snacks available to keep patients well-nourished throughout the day.
Once all components of the assessment are complete, a physician reviews the findings and translates them into a personalized Health Plan, helping patients understand what the results mean and what steps to consider next. Six months later, the patient’s Care Advocate checks in to see how things are progressing.
Courtesy of Stem Health
Of course, collecting health data is only useful if you know what to do with it. Stem’s approach focuses on ongoing care rather than a single, information-heavy appointment. Each member has access to their ongoing Health Story, which brings together results, prescriptions, referrals and care plans in one shared record, allowing the team to track information over time. Elements of the Health Story can also be shared with physicians outside of Stem as well, so patients never have to worry about losing access to their documents.
“People shouldn’t have to carry the mental and operational load of managing their healthcare alone,” Khemani says. “Rather than having an episodic relationship with our patients, our system gives us the ability to engage with and get to know them so we can stay proactively connected.”
Courtesy of Stem Health
Beyond its primary offerings, Stem also offers dermatology, mental health services, nutrition, physiotherapy, sports medicine and other allied health services, while virtual primary care is available across Ontario as well. The clinic is also developing a comprehensive women’s health program spanning hormone replacement therapy and pelvic floor physiotherapy to menopause care and more.
Ultimately, Khemani wants patients to leave Stem with not just test results, but with a feeling of true ownership over their health. Whether that means getting answers to long-standing questions, understanding what their results mean or knowing which steps to take next, it all comes back to the clinic’s core belief that healthcare should feel like a conversation—not another thing to figure out on your own.
