U.S. worksite clinics by the


Feature Story


numbers Nearly 10 million employees, dependents and retirees use on-site clinics. That’s 4 percent of the population under age 65.


Laurie Wilson, RN, (left) manages the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Health Care Center which provides immediate care services for employees and their families.


Source: Fuld & Company


Wellness more than feeling good at worksite clinics While more companies are realizing the immediate cost savings of on-site health


clinics, the hard fact is that true savings will come about only when chronic diseases are addressed and lifestyles changed. To that end, many companies are stepping up efforts to provide preventive care,


Employees realize a financial reward for using an on-site clinic, too. Most cost less than a visit to a primary physician. While insurance co-pays average $20 or more after the deductible, a visit to an on-site clinic can cost as little as $5, no deductible involved. It’s a good alternative for treating health issues that can be handled in such an environment. However, some employees are more comfortable seeing their own doctors. “That’s what we hope to [prevent] because it costs them more and it costs the school more,” said Laurie Wilson, RN, an IU Health employee who manages the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Health Care Center.


disease management and wellness programs. Employees who participate in company health programs to lose weight don’t deal with as many chronic illnesses. Plus, the conditions they do have can be managed better. Company wellness directors and lifestyle coaches can engage employees one-on-one


and personalize programs for them. Employees are more apt to stick with a wellness program with this sort of interaction. The result: improved long-term health and lower health care costs. “If you can keep from getting sick, it’s going to save the employer so much money,” said


Barbara Kelly, RN, FNP, a University of Indianapolis faculty member and director of Koval Nursing Center.


Who to call | Businesses can manage their clinics on their own, although few choose to go it alone. In that model, clinic employees and management work for the company, which also is responsible for hiring and ensuring quality care. Most businesses outsource some or all of the management responsibilities, calling on private ventures or hospital


systems that specialize in opening, managing and staffing on-site clinics. “It’s interesting, because everybody’s program has a little bit different ideas,” said Jill Mercer, director of Workplace Health Solutions, a division of IU Health. “I have a program where a nurse comes to the site once a month and does a series of screenings — and a full-blown primary care clinic.”


Tell us about it: Indiana Nursing Quarterly • indystar.com/nursing • Summer 2011 11


Number of employers with on-site clinics 1,200 Number of on-site clinics


1,800


Health care cost savings for employers with clinics 10 to 30 percent Projected growth in number of worksite clinics


15 percent to 20 percent by 2015


Increase in businesses with clinics between 2008 and 2009 9 percent Employees who use clinics if they are located at their worksite


More than 60 percent


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