The Doctor Comes to You

The survey, released March 19 by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, compared the use of such facilities by early and recent adopters, with early adopters defined as those companies that set up clinics before 2000.

Researchers found that, among both recent and early adopters, 67 percent were motivated by an interest in enhancing the productivity of their workers. In addition, reducing medical costs is a growing priority, cited by 70 percent of recent adopters but only 49 percent of early adopters.

Other factors included improving access to care—44 percent of recent adopters and 33 percent of early adopters—and improving quality of care, which was cited by 30 percent of recent adopters and 12 percent of early adopters.

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Red Spot Paint & Varnish Company has recently opened an on-site employee medical clinic.

Tri-State Business Group on Health (TSBGH) executive director Lisa Gish says this healthcare model benefits both employers and employees. TSBGH is a local coalition of businesses aimed to improve healthcare opportunities. While the business still covers employees’ health care, the lower-cost model reduces overall cost. Employees can enjoy a convenient location and no co-payments, says Gish.

“The number of people who have not seen a doctor in the last several years is staggering,” Gish says. “Our goal is to find ways to get people the health care they need, take care of problems while they are minimal so they don’t escalate into more serious and more costly conditions, and encourage and provide services that prevent some of the most common health problems.”

The clinic is staffed with local physicians, and Novia CareClinics, an organization that establishes and implements these clinics, developed this clinic as well as one for Evansville-based energy company, Vectren Corporation.

“The decision to open an on-site clinic took careful consideration of a lot of different factors, some of which were not as easy to quantify as we would have liked,” says Joseph Neidig, Vice President of Operations at Red Spot and president of the TSBGH Board of Directors. “With the clinic at Red Spot only open for two weeks now, we have filled nearly every appointment, and the positive response from our employees has been overwhelming. It was definitely the right decision for us.

Source: 14 WFIE
Original Publication Date: December 17, 2007

It’s tough to beat free food and beer.

But Monarch Beverage Co.’s employees in a satisfaction survey ranked the company’s on-site medical clinic as the No. 1 perk — edging out the free hams, turkeys, beer and wine during the holidays.

The clinic, tucked into Monarch’s cavernous Southwestside distribution center, is part of a sweeping effort to help its 650 employees get healthy.

What makes Monarch’s efforts worth lauding is that waistlines and medical bills are shrinking, driving down company health-care costs.

Expenses from medical claims fell by 16.8 percent in 2006 and 16.6 percent in 2007. Worker’s compensation claims are down 22 percent in 2007.

While most employees across the nation are bracing to pay higher premiums — a Kaiser Family Foundation study shows the average for family coverage is $12,106 a year, with workers paying $3,281 of that — for the second straight year Monarch workers will face no such increases.

“We have told employees, if this continues going down we will share this,” said Phil Terry, Monarch’s chief executive officer.

A nurse practitioner staffs the clinic every weekday. A physical therapist is there four days a week. Treatment is free, and employees receive a discount in their health- insurance costs if they take health-risk appraisals or have a consultation with the nurse practitioner.

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The Walt Disney Co. announced Wednesday plans to build a $6 million health facility at Walt Disney World for the use of its cast members and their dependents who participate in the company’s health plans.

The 15,000-square-foot facility will provide cast members access to primary care physicians and other medical professionals and a pharmacy, lab, basic radiology and wellness and behavioral health resources.

The facility will open in 2009 and will be operated by a health management company to be selected in the coming months.

The new health center will provide:

• Longer-than-average visits with health care professionals.
• Convenience through extended operating hours, weekend availability and its close proximity to work-coordinated treatment.

More than 40,000 Walt Disney World cast members and dependents are currently eligible for benefits.

Source: Los Angeles Business
Original Publication Date: December 12, 2007