Ryobi has contracted with OnSiteSolutions, a new company formed by Major Hospital, that will provide a clinic at the plant that workers and their families may use. Employees who subscribe to Ryobi’s current insurance plan will enjoy the added convenience of free visits to the clinic and some free generic medications.

According to Jeff Williams, director of Human Resources at Ryobi, the goals are to save money for Ryobi on health-care costs and provide better health care for its workers.

“It is a win for everybody,” Williams said. “It helps us control costs and keeps our workers healthier.”

Williams said health-care costs are averaging a 10 to 14 percent jump each year when health-care and prescription costs are averaged, and it is a serious problem for the bottom line of all companies unless employees are constantly asked to pay more.

Ryobi is located on 58 acres at 800 W. Mausoleum Road and has 687 full-time employees. Around 600 of them take the company insurance, which costs employees about $32 per week for the family plan premium but costs Ryobi, which is self-insured, approximately $8,500 per employee each year by the time medications and treatment costs are averaged for the entire workforce.

The company has adequate room for a clinic, which will be located in a self-contained modular building with plenty of parking so family members can access the building without needing to go through security or entering the plant. Employees may enter from a door at the rear of the building so they don’t have to leave the factory grounds to visit the clinic.

The convenience of visiting the clinic will be a definite advantage for employees who need to see a doctor or receive medical attention but don’t want take a day off work. Williams said employees are more likely to go to the doctor if they can go quickly without losing good attendance points. The fact that the visit is free will make it very attractive for most workers.

Employees who prefer to visit their own doctors may continue to do so at the customary insurance co-pay amount, but the lure of seeing a doctor without needing to come up with the co-payment will appeal to most workers. Williams said some employees may prefer to see their current primary care physician for a serious ongoing problem, even if it costs more, but visit the clinic for less serious illnesses.

The clinic will be open on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon and on Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m. Dr. Greg Howard, currently employed by Major Hospital, a nurse practitioner and licensed medical assistant will share the medical duties, and the phones will be staffed 12 hours each day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for employees to make appointments.

“If we find that we need to have the clinic open more hours, then we can make adjustments later,” Williams said.

Preventative care

One of the biggest benefits of the on-site clinic, according to Williams, is the emphasis placed on preventative health care for employees and their families. He described the current health-care climate in America as focusing on acute care - in other words, offering treatment for people after they are already sick.

The clinic will run free tests to help predict problems with high blood pressure, cholesterol, sugar or other potential red flags so that treatments can be suggested before health concerns become serious.

“We want to make sure that the doctor has 15 to 20 minutes to talk to patients when they visit the clinic so the doctor can get to know the total health picture and suggest ways to keep the patient healthy,” Williams said.

Before deciding on the on-site clinic approach, Williams said Ryobi held focus groups with employees and asked their opinions about the plan, which they endorsed overwhelmingly.

“Employees said they often felt rushed when visiting their doctors, getting the impression that he (or she) was in a hurry to rush on to the next patient. We don’t want that atmosphere at the clinic,” Williams said.

Before choosing OnSiteSolutions through Major Hospital, Williams said Ryobi looked at six other vendors, but the plan offered by the local hospital won out over the others. He said Major is in a unique position of already providing a majority of the health care services in the community, and it has the personnel and testing facilities in place to run the program. As a hospital, it also is in a unique position to provide generic medicine at a reasonable price.

“We listened to presentations from six vendors and held competitive bidding for the clinic,” Williams said. “We also liked OnSite because it is a local company, and it is a goal of Ryobi to use local vendors whenever possible.”

Fewer ER visits

Ryan Claxton recently started working at Major Hospital as director of business development, and he will oversee the OnSiteSolutions program on a day-to-day basis. He is especially interested in the company’s goal of increasing preventative care to employees which should lead to a healthier work force.

Claxton said other local companies will be watching the new clinic and considering whether it is a viable option for their businesses, and he added that smaller companies might consider partnerships where they would share the cost of a clinic.

Claxton is also impressed that Ryobi is choosing to pass on the savings to its employees by keeping the clinic free instead of charging for its use, but he said that this should prove to be money well-spent by the company. By decreasing visits to hospital emergency rooms and getting treatment for employees before they become seriously ill, Claxton said companies stand to gain from funding the clinics.

Bob Carmony, marketing director at Major Hospital, said employees have to be encouraged to lead healthier lives - “you can’t cram it down their throats.”

“People know that smoking and being overweight are unhealthy,” Carmony said, “but think how many people go right ahead with those unhealthy habits.”

He said direct contact with a medical professional who can make suggestions for staying healthier is more likely to cause employees to make positive lifestyle changes.

Claxton said the clinic is also a way for companies to recruit new employees and hold on to current ones, giving them a hiring and retention edge over employers who don’t offer on-site treatment facilities.

Source: The Shelbyville News
Original Publication Date: January 3, 2008