Manulife Financial Corporation announced that it has appointed a new medical director – the Cleveland Clinic Canada – the Canadian arm of the Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical centre based in Ohio.

The Canadian team includes physicians and wellness experts who provide in-person care at the organization’s Toronto clinics and virtual care across Canada. “Their medical experts also work with companies to help them manage organizational risk and improve the health of employees in a wide range of industries,” the company states in an announcement about the new appointment.

Although the firm also has a network of 3,500 physicians and specialists, Manulife says it does not have direct-to-consumer offerings planned – the firm will be working with the company in an advisory capacity. (Similar advisory services are offered by the clinic to other companies as well, including Air Canada and Purolator.) Manulife intends to use the clinic’s research and insights to further develop products and services. Manulife today provides comprehensive workplace benefits plans through more than 25,000 employers and unions.

“We’ve appointed Cleveland Clinic Canada as our medical director to leverage their world class medical and healthcare experts and to develop industry leading research that will continue improving health outcomes for our customers and their families,” they write.